Sabrina Carpenter has ruffled the feathers of the world's most devout disciples: no, not the Swifties (more on them in a bit), but the Catholic Church, cleverly clapping back at a recent controversy with the religious institution. The 24-year-old singer and actress (we're still thinking about her character's abrupt ending on Emergency last year) has been spending much of the year as the rainbow-bright opener for Taylor Swift's Eras Tour. Still, in between those sold-out stadium stops, Carpenter managed to gain the attention of the church. It was due to a provocative music video for her song "Feather," the latest song off her July 2022 album, Emails I Can’t Send, to get the video treatment.
The video, which dropped on October 31, 2023, was a gory display fit for Halloween, showing the songstress cheerfully facilitating the deaths of several men as penance for their catcalling, mansplaining and generally obnoxious nature. So exactly why did the bloody scene cause such an uproar with the church, and how did Carpenter respond to the Catholic controversy? Let's talk it out.
What The Church Said About Sabrina Carpenter's Music Video
The scandal surrounding Carpenter's "Feather" music video wasn't just based on the content but also the setting. Part of the three-and-a-half-minute clip was filmed in Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church in Brooklyn, New York. There, the former Disney Channel star can be seen dancing suggestively on the altar at the men's funerals whilst wearing a black tulle dress and veil. She also poses with several religious items in the video, including a coffin that reads "RIP BITCH."
The Catholic community was none-too-pleased with the chosen imagery from the young pop star, leading "appalled" Brooklyn Bishop Robert Brennan to release an official statement on the matter to the Catholic News Agency, which reads as follows:
The parish did not follow diocesan policy regarding the filming on Church property, which includes a review of the scenes and script.
Msgr. Jamie J. Gigantiello, the parish's pastor who had approved filming inside the Williamsburg church, was subsequently relieved of his administrative duties, according to The New York Times. Per the outlet, Gigantiello claimed that the final edit of the "Feather" video was not what was initially pitched to him. The priest reportedly posted an apology to parishioners on the church's Facebook page, claiming that his initial approval stemmed from wanting to "further strengthen the bonds between the young creative artists who make up a large part of this community." You can see the video for yourself down below:
It's fair to say that it's definitely one of the more unique music videos to drop in recent memory. So now that we've heard the church's stance on it, what exactly does the "Eyes Wide Open" singer herself think?
How Sabrina Carpenter Responded To The Church's Comments
Msgr.Gigantiello's story differs from the one that Sabrina Carpenter explained to Variety. Of the controversy, she simply said:
We got approval in advance... and Jesus was a carpenter.
It's an on-brand bit of cheeky humor from the pop star, who has become known for her quick wit. The former Girl Meets World sidekick regularly changes up the lyrics to her songs during live shows, occasionally mixing in sexual and funny ad libs to the end of her popular track "Nonsense." (Sample lyrics: “This crowd is giving me all the endorphins / I wish someone could rearrange my organs / Philly is the city I was born in.”)
During an October 2022 show in Los Angeles, one such lyrical edit poked fun at her much-publicized breakup from High School Musical: The Musical star Joshua Bassett. The songstress crooned: "I've got a personality but no tits / This song is not about Joshua Bassett / Los Angeles, your energy is big dick." The performer says that she regularly deploys humor, calling it a "healing part" of her life and a springboard for many of her songs:
These are kind of the jokes I make on a daily basis. Humor is such a healing part of my life. And I use it in everything—that’s how a lot of my songs happen.
As for now, Sabrina Carpenter seems to be moving on unbothered from the church-based backlash. Aside from that situation, she released a Christmas-themed EP titles Fruitcake on November 17, and fans are busy dream-casting Carpenter and Taylor Zakhar Perez as characters in the rumored live-action Tangled movie.
