The Decline of Choice Feminism: Why Progressive Feminists Are Rethinking Individual Agency
Yes this is another think piece about Sabrina Carpenter's new album cover
Choice feminism, once a dominant strain of feminist thought that celebrated women's autonomy to make their own decisions regardless of the outcome, has fallen out of favour among many progressive feminists in recent years. This shift reflects a deeper reckoning with how individual choices exist within broader systems of power and oppression - a tension that has come into sharp focus with recent controversies like the backlash to Sabrina Carpenter's "Man's Best Friend" album cover.
What Is Choice Feminism?
Choice feminism emerged in the 1990s and early 2000s as a response to what many saw as the overly prescriptive nature of second-wave feminism. Its core tenet was simple: any choice a woman makes is inherently feminist because it represents her exercising agency and autonomy. Under this framework, a woman's decision to be a stay-at-home mother, work in the sex industry, undergo cosmetic surgery, or embrace traditionally feminine roles was considered equally valid and empowering as pursuing a career, rejecting beauty standards, or challenging gender norms.
The appeal of choice feminism was clear. It promised to end the "mommy wars" and other internecine feminist conflicts by declaring all women's choices valid. It also aligned with broader cultural values of individualism and personal responsibility that dominated the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
The Progressive Feminist Critique
However, contemporary progressive feminists have increasingly rejected choice feminism as inadequate for addressing systemic inequality. Their critique centres on several key points:
Context Matters More Than Choice: Progressive feminists argue that choices don't exist in a vacuum. When women make decisions under patriarchal systems that limit their options, reward certain behaviours, and punish others, those choices can't be considered truly free or empowering. A woman who chooses to prioritise her appearance or defer to male authority may be making a rational decision within existing constraints, but that doesn't make the constraints themselves feminist.
Individual Agency vs. Collective Liberation: While choice feminism focuses on individual women's right to choose, progressive feminists emphasise the need for collective action to dismantle oppressive systems. They argue that celebrating individual choices can distract from the harder work of challenging the structures that limit those choices in the first place.
The Male Gaze Remains Powerful: Modern feminists are increasingly concerned with how women's choices are shaped by internalised patriarchal values and the desire for male approval. They argue that truly feminist choices require conscious resistance to these influences, not just the freedom to make any decision.
The Sabrina Carpenter Controversy as a Case Study
The recent backlash to Sabrina Carpenter's "Man's Best Friend" album cover perfectly illustrates these tensions. The cover shows Carpenter on her knees, wearing a short black dress and heels, appearing to be petting the leg of a man who stands over her and is pulling her hair.
The response was swift and polarised. Critics called the image anti-feminist, saying it plays into misogynistic gender roles in which women must be subservient to men, with some saying the image was reminiscent of domestic abuse. One social media user claimed the pop star had "set feminism back another 20 years."
Defenders of Carpenter, however, invoked choice feminist principles. They argued that "being kinky is not anti-feminist" and that women should be free to express their sexuality however they choose. Some suggested that critics were missing the satire in Carpenter's statement, arguing her image choice highlighted still prevalent power imbalances and misogyny.
This controversy encapsulates the central tension between choice feminism and progressive feminist thought. Choice feminists would argue that Carpenter, as an adult woman and successful artist, has the right to present herself however she chooses, and that criticising her choices is itself anti-feminist. Progressive feminists, however, focus on the broader implications: the main problem, as they saw it, was that Carpenter was catering to what they called the "male gaze"—attempting to appeal to men and generally objectifying herself.
The image is indeed deeply troubling from a feminist perspective. Regardless of Carpenter's artistic intentions, the visual language she employs—a woman on her knees, positioned below a standing man who controls her through hair-pulling—directly mirrors dynamics of dominance and submission that have historically been used to subordinate women. In an era where young women already face unprecedented pressure to sexualise themselves for social media validation and male approval, Carpenter's choice to embrace such explicitly submissive imagery feels particularly irresponsible. The cover doesn't subvert patriarchal expectations; it reinforces them, packaging female subjugation as edgy artistic expression while ultimately serving the same male gaze it might claim to critique.
Why Progressive Feminists Reject Choice Feminism
The Carpenter controversy highlights several reasons why progressive feminists have moved away from choice feminism:
Power Dynamics Can't Be Ignored: Progressive feminists argue that when a woman adopts imagery associated with submission or objectification, it reinforces harmful power dynamics regardless of her personal intentions or agency. The impact on broader culture and other women matters as much as the individual's right to choose.
Intersectionality Reveals Limits: As feminist thought has become more intersectional, acknowledging how race, class, sexuality, and other identities shape women's experiences, the limitations of choice feminism have become clearer. Women from different backgrounds face different constraints and consequences for their choices, making a one-size-fits-all approach to "empowerment" inadequate.
Corporate Feminism Concerns: Many progressive feminists worry that choice feminism has been co-opted by corporate interests that profit from women's insecurities and desires for male approval. They see the celebration of any choice as potentially serving capitalism rather than genuine liberation.
Historical Awareness: Contemporary feminists are more aware of how women's "choices" have historically been shaped by limited options and social pressure. They're sceptical of frameworks that don't account for these constraints.
The Path Forward
The decline of choice feminism doesn't mean progressive feminists want to return to prescriptive approaches that tell women exactly how to live. Instead, they're seeking more nuanced frameworks that acknowledge both individual agency and structural constraints.
This might involve encouraging women to critically examine their choices and motivations while still respecting their autonomy. It means focusing more energy on changing the systems that limit women's options rather than simply celebrating the choices women make within those systems. And it requires honest conversations about how internalised oppression and the desire for approval can shape our decisions in ways that feel empowering but may not serve our long-term interests or those of other women.
The Sabrina Carpenter controversy, while seemingly focused on a single album cover, actually represents a much larger conversation about what feminist progress looks like in the 21st century. As feminism continues to evolve, the challenge will be finding ways to honour women's agency while still working toward the structural changes needed for true equality. The era of choice feminism may be ending, but the work of building a more just and equitable world continues.