Sky Ferreira Sexist LA Weekly Profile Twitter Defense

Photo: Matt Baron/REX/Shutterstock.

Last week, a music writer at LA Weekly published a piece about singer Sky Ferreira. In it, the 23-year-old California native is described as "a dirtier Madonna: square jaw, strong eyebrows, lulled green eyes, crucifix, bleached blond hair, translucently pale skin, and killer tits" and "the most deliberately pimped-out example of a modern pop star." The racy description of the artist raised a lot of eyebrows, including those at Jezebel, Paper, and even LA Weekly itself. The magazine's music editor published an apology following criticism of the article, acknowledging the objectionable material littered throughout the piece. The most bizarre aspect of the profile is that it is, at its core, a positive review of Ferreira's work. So what was up with all of that voyeuristic, objectifying nonsense? The writer equates her talent as a singer to her sex appeal, which is both demeaning and offensive. Ferreira herself felt it necessary to step in and publicly reclaim her own identity, after being reduced down to a "schoolgirl fantasy; she looks like an unvarnished Madonna styled by Maripol, with the vaguely mystical presence of Nico and the faux-punkness of a Sex Pistols groupie." The singer addressed the story on Twitter, eloquently defending not only her own image, but her own sense of self. In one tweet she wrote that she is "not a fucking think piece" and that as a woman in entertainment, "You're either too fat or too thin or too pretty or ugly. That's the what I've been told my whole life since I was a little girl." Before explaining her thoughts on Twitter, Ferreira poked fun at the premise of the article and its blatant sexism.

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Lol. I'm going to post what I have to say about all of this in a few.

A photo posted by Sky Ferreira (@skyferreira) on Jun 18, 2016 at 3:48pm PDT

Below is the first part of her unofficial statement, via Twitter.

This is not my "official statement" about the @LAWeekly article:
— Sky Ferreira (@skyferreira) June 21, 2016

95 percent of articles & interviews about me have had something offensive,false or (sometimes extremely) sexist.
— Sky Ferreira (@skyferreira) June 21, 2016

Some have been more passive aggressive or subtle & socially acceptable.
— Sky Ferreira (@skyferreira) June 21, 2016

I'm obviously a lot more than my "sex appeal" or my "knockers". I'm not ashamed of either of those things either.
— Sky Ferreira (@skyferreira) June 21, 2016

It's not calculated or whatever. I do what I want when I feel it's true to me.
— Sky Ferreira (@skyferreira) June 21, 2016

If there was some sort of formula all of this would be a lot easier and faster & probably more "successful"
— Sky Ferreira (@skyferreira) June 21, 2016

I spend/spent so much time being frustrated by this type of bullshit that it really took a toll on me in a personal level.
— Sky Ferreira (@skyferreira) June 21, 2016

I'm not a think piece. I'm not a fucking example. I'm glad that this is making people think & conversation is happening
— Sky Ferreira (@skyferreira) June 21, 2016

& I appreciate people speaking against it and being vocal
— Sky Ferreira (@skyferreira) June 21, 2016

I'm done with the "success has 1000 fathers,failure has none" bullshit. The reason good or bad & who I am or whatever I've done is ME
— Sky Ferreira (@skyferreira) June 21, 2016

Ferreira went on to address rumours about her supporting the controversial photographer Terry Richardson (she says she has "never defended him") and ended the stream of tweets with a few powerful closing thoughts.

I've always been "too much" or "never enough". At the point I care about the work I make because that's what actually lasts & matters
— Sky Ferreira (@skyferreira) June 21, 2016

& my well being so I can make it. The people who understand me as an artist & my work is what I care about.
— Sky Ferreira (@skyferreira) June 21, 2016

There's no such thing as an "IDEAL WOMAN", people.
— Sky Ferreira (@skyferreira) June 21, 2016

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Sky Ferreira Defends Herself On Twitter

Sky Ferreira Defends Herself In Response To Offensive & Sexist Article

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