‘No one has the right to say s–t!’: Ariana Grande claps back at body shamers commenting on her appearance
Ariana Grande claps back at body shamers and condemns how “comfortable” society has become when it comes to talking about other peoples’ bodies.
The actress and singer has been enjoying the spotlight in recent weeks since she starred as Glinda in Wicked. The film adaptation of the beloved stage musical is a smash hit, climbing to the top of the box office and sparking awards season buzz. Sadly, it’s rare nowadays for women to be able to enjoy their achievements without body shamers trying to put a damper on their biggest moments. Both Grande and her co-star Cynthia Erivo have faced scrutiny over their perceived weight loss during their Wicked press tour. Social media users and media outlets have partaken in invasive speculation about their health and judged their appearances.
Meanwhile, this isn’t even the first time Grande has faced this kind of speculation and criticism. Last year, she was forced to disclose that she has lupus due to social media users commenting on her body. However, since the body shamers didn’t learn from that incident, she had to speak out against them again.
Ariana Grande gets emotional speaking about body shaming
Recently, Grande and Erivo sat down with journalist Salima Poumbga for an interview. During the interview, Grande opened up about the body-shaming comments she received and how they impacted her. She explained that she has been in the spotlight for most of her life and has “heard it all” when it comes to criticism about her appearance. She stated, “I’ve heard every version of it… of what’s wrong with me. And then you fix it, and then it’s wrong for different reasons.” While celebrities face intense scrutiny over their appearances due to being in the public eye, Grande also acknowledged the harm of body shaming on any scale whatsoever.
She explained, “Even if you go to Thanksgiving dinner, and someone’s granny says, ‘Oh my God, you look skinnier! What happened?’ or ‘You look heavier! What happened?’ That is something that’s uncomfortable and horrible no matter where it’s happening, and no matter the scale it’s happening on.” At one point, Grande got emotional as she stated, “There’s a comfortability people have with commenting on that [my body] that I think is really dangerous. And I think it’s dangerous for all parties involved.” Despite the struggles she has faced with body-shaming, she acknowledged that she was “lucky” to have a support system that ensures she knows that she’s “beautiful.”
Grande explained that she is now able to tune out the noise and not “invite it in anymore” because she has “work to do” and a “life to live.” She concluded, “You keep yourself safe. Because no one has the right to say s–t!”
Grande perfectly captured the dangers of body-shaming culture and talking about people’s appearances despite not knowing them or anything that is going on in their lives. It shouldn’t even have to be said; it should be common sense that one shouldn’t concern themselves with someone else’s body. Whether it’s the wide-scale invasive speculation on celebrities’ appearances or the casual family remarks at Thanksgiving, no one should have to feel like there’s something wrong with their appearance or something they need to explain. As a society, we should think about why we are so comfortable talking about things that we genuinely don’t have any right to discuss.
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