Skin in the game: Here’s how fans are reacting to Sabrina Carpenter’s Fortnite feature

Image // Fortnite

HAVE YOU EVER TRIED THIS ONE? Sabrina Carpenter’s arrival in Fortnite has left fans either excited or annoyed.

By: Sam Simons

Media Writer

Sabrina Carpenter has been quite the “Busy Woman,” as she is now making an appearance in Fortnite. On April 8, the popular game released two skins of the pop star just in time for season eight of their Fortnite Festival. While some fans were pleased about her being in Fortnite, others were left with a bad taste. 

Carpenter’s skins feature her iconic tour looks as well as different accessories which all vary in price. During the Fortnite Festival season, which acts as a form of Guitar Hero, players can have a solo or group act and perform to try and get the highest score. The game has introduced dance emotes where players can dance alongside Carpenter even if they don’t own the emote. 

Carpenter is not the first celebrity to enter the world of Fortnite, as stars such as Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, The Rock and Travis Scott have had their own skins as well. However, some have expressed that her skin doesn’t accurately portray her, or  that the design looks weird at times. Personally, I think they did her makeup very nicely, but how she looks in the game is just scratching at the surface of what people are really upset over. 

The main problem that men, in particular, seem to have with the Sabrina Carpenter skin is the feeling that she is “ruining the game.” Specifically, those that have downloaded her emote are refusing to kill each other and instead dancing together (God forbid they have a skin that dances in Fortnite). In contrast, others have felt that Carpenter’s skin has fostered a sense of community in the game, as when they see another Carpenter skin, they all put their weapons down and start dancing together. 

The bigger issue is that male gamers are upset about a woman interfering with their space. Since her aesthetic doesn’t entirely match the confines of Fortnite, there is a sentiment that she should just stick to her world and the gamers can stick to theirs. But that just seems greedy and unwelcoming, as there are female gamers out there too, and pop music and video games are not mutually exclusive interests.

Additionally, people are upset about the choice to use Carpenter in particular, as she is known to have a sassy stage presence, which some feel is inappropriate. Since her songs have explicit lyrics as well as some not-so-subtle suggestive dance moves, she is dubbed a bad role model. 

But there seems to be a double standard. When Carpenter is open about her sexuality in real life, it’s automatically bad; however, when players use her skin in the game to create even more overtly sexual positions, no one seems to see an issue.

Those who are upset with Carpenter’s skin are simply doing too much. They are getting mad over pixels on a screen. If you don’t like Carpenter’s star persona or her skin, no one is forcing you to buy it. Maybe take a break from the game and touch some grass, because this whole thing just seems like a bunch of nonsense.