the rise of the 'little girl' aesthetic is repulsive

its creepy af. ban the babydoll dress! cancel olivia rodrigo! or not. In this video, we’re talking about the return of the “schoolgirl,” “baby girl,” and Lolita-inspired aesthetic in pop culture, and why so many people are finding it deeply uncomfortable. This isn’t about blaming women for what they wear, or saying a babydoll dress is automatically problematic. Women should be able to dress however they want. The issue is the wider culture surrounding the aesthetic: the way innocence, girlhood, vulnerability and childlike styling keep being repackaged as something sexy, especially within the music and fashion industries. From Olivia Rodrigo’s controversial babydoll dress to the long history of Lolita-coded advertising and pop star styling, this video looks at why the dress itself isn’t the problem, the problem is the gaze, the industry, and the culture that keeps turning girlhood into a fetish.