Room for debate what makes a pop star

In the world of pop stars, feminism has become the go-to buzzword as of late. While Katy Perry and Kelly Clarkson have proudly declared that they are not feminists , other young female stars are using the word as a battle cry—both against the media and against each other.

With their words under a microscope, Millennial pop stars have begun arguing over who is a positive influence on young female fans and who is truly a feminist—though their definition of the term varies.

The rising debate shines a spotlight on the confused state of Millennials in defining feminism and its ideals. The maturity of her lyrics propelled the teen into international stardom virtually overnight, and her outspoken opinion on the industry and her pop star peers has kept her in headlines.

Swift seems to be an easy target. On one hand, the word can encompass the treatment of women towards one another. Lorde is not alone in using this particular definition of feminism. While sexual objectification is being considered a mark against feminism by some female Millennial stars, Miley Cyrus, queen of controversy, thinks otherwise.

This generation is often unfazed by controversy since they have access to see it all, and some are engaging with feminist ideals by putting sexuality in the forefront, by choice. In the blurred world of pop culture feminism, year-old Tavi Gevinson, one of the original fashion bloggers, creator of the Bible for teenage girls Rookie Mag , and well-known feminist , is a die-hard Taylor Swift fan.

As Millennial stars and fans toss around the idea of what feminism looks like today, the larger theme of the conversation seems to be the interest in being a positive influence for young girls everywhere.

Though the definitions of what that means might not be the same, their willingness to air their differences could be inspiring a new take on the modern day woman…and yes, feminist. Sign up for a free account and get 14 days of access to YPulse daily articles and insights. Sign up. Share with a colleague Who should we send this Article to? Send Copy Link. Are festivals today too corporate and homogenized, or are they still good places for discovery and shared experiences?

Amid the usual debate about who belongs in the Hall of Fame and who gets to decide, why should music lovers care? With soaring housing and health care costs, has it become too expensive to pursue the arts in the U. But should commercial music have this much ….

Do awards dictate too often what we decide to view, listen to or read? Or do they lose their power and appeal …. In Room for Debate, The Times invites knowledgeable outside contributors to discuss news events and other timely issues. Reader comments are moderated Monday through Friday. Room for Debate welcomes suggestions from readers: What questions should we be asking?

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