{"id":982989,"date":"2026-08-05T20:02:18","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T20:02:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/982989\/"},"modified":"2026-08-05T20:02:18","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T20:02:18","slug":"ariana-grandes-new-video-sparks-commentary-but-how-should-we-be-talking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/982989\/","title":{"rendered":"Ariana Grande’s new video sparks commentary, but how should we be talking?"},"content":{"rendered":"

NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 Talking about beauty can get really ugly \u2014 particularly when it comes to public figures.<\/p>\n

In an increasingly connected world, there\u2019s no shortage of hot takes and judgment. That is evident yet again in recent days in the wake of a new music video from singer Ariana Grande and the release last week of her new album, \u201cPetal,\u201d<\/a> which reignited commentary about her thin appearance.<\/p>\n

It also raised the question: Just because we can say anything, does that mean we should? Some saw yet more body-shaming being aimed, no surprise, at a woman in a society that constantly judges them; others said it was simply concern. Some called for respecting her privacy, while others said the influence of celebrities on young fans made it a valid topic. <\/p>\n

Grande, 33, has faced attention and commentary throughout her career around her appearance, with the current focus being on the increasing visibility of her body\u2019s bone structure, including her sternum and rib cage. <\/p>\n

She has pushed back against discourse that she\u2019s anything other than healthy, and repeatedly insisted that she doesn\u2019t think commenting on people\u2019s bodies is acceptable. Her representative told People magazine that she would be stepping back from public life<\/a> after her current tour finishes due to the \u201cendless, ongoing public scrutiny.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even in the video<\/a>, a nearly seven-minute indictment of the harsh process of assessment and judgment that leads to fame and celebrity, Grande hits on the subject of being constantly sized up. \u201cI don\u2019t need someone to save me,\u201d she sings. \u201cI\u2019m not a victim.\u201d<\/p>\n

The way we talk in situations about body image matters because the impact can transcend a one-off comment or snap judgment about celebrities we\u2019ll never meet, says Johanna Kandel, founder and CEO of the National Alliance for Eating Disorders.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would just check our intentions behind it,\u201d Kandel said. \u201cWhat is the purpose of it? … What is the intent versus the impact of it?\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Ariana<\/p>\n

Ariana Grande arrives at the 83rd Golden Globes on Jan. 11, 2026, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss\/Invision\/AP, File)<\/p>\n

Ariana Grande arrives at the 83rd Golden Globes on Jan. 11, 2026, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss\/Invision\/AP, File)<\/p>\n

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Judging famous women by appearances is nothing new<\/p>\n

Aggressive scrutiny of people in the spotlight is nothing new, nor is the reality that women\u2019s appearances are heavily judged \u2014 even though the past decade has brought concerted efforts to promote ideas of body acceptance at all sizes. <\/p>\n

These days, effective weight loss-inducing medications \u2014 their use driven by celebrities \u2014 have joined the larger cultural conversation. They\u2019re shifting the ground once again around ideas of thinness, beauty and health, with some concerned that a slew of images of noticeably skinnier famous faces could have a troubling impact on those struggling with body image issues or eating disorders.<\/p>\n

Judgment and criticism on one side, coupled with calls to stop saying anything about Grande\u2019s body on the other, can make nuanced conversations about beauty and health difficult, says Allison Butler, a senior lecturer in communication at University of Massachusetts, Amherst.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe limit both the complexity of the folks that we are directing our attention to, as well as our own complex understandings of ourselves,\u201d said Butler, author of \u201cThe Judgment of Gender: How Women are Centered and Silenced in Pop Culture.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fundamentally, many experts say, it\u2019s no one\u2019s place to pass judgment on someone\u2019s body, celebrity or otherwise.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith celebrities, I encourage people to resist the urge to speculate altogether. Public conversations about celebrity bodies often reinforce the idea that our bodies are open for public discussion, and that\u2019s a message young people are listening to,\u201d Rachel Goldman, a psychologist and clinical assistant professor at NYU\u2019s Grossman School of Medicine, said via email.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe also have to remember that comments about someone\u2019s appearance (whether they\u2019re meant as compliments or criticisms) can reinforce the idea that our value is tied to how we look,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

That doesn\u2019t mean ignoring the reality that people struggle with disordered eating in varied ways. Kandel references her own experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was first approached about my eating disorder, it was (from) a place of concern, but it was like, \u201dYou look like Skeletor,\u2019\u201d she said, and not \u201c\u2018Hey, what\u2019s going on? I\u2019m really worried about you.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

To Kandel, ignoring such issues is less effective than thinking hard about how we address them. \u201cIt can\u2019t be a conversation that we evade,\u201d she said, \u201cbut it\u2019s more of bringing it to the curiosity and the compassion as opposed to the criticism.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"This<\/p>\n

This album cover image released by Republic Records shows \u201cPetal\u201d by Ariana Grande. (Republic Records via AP)<\/p>\n

This album cover image released by Republic Records shows \u201cPetal\u201d by Ariana Grande. (Republic Records via AP)<\/p>\n

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It can be difficult to talk to children about these issues<\/p>\n

For parents talking with children, Goldman suggests shifting the conversation away from judging bodies to talking about the messages society is sending. Also crucial: reminding them that appearance isn\u2019t an indicator of health and well-being.<\/p>\n

\u201cUltimately, we want young people to understand that their body is just one part of who they are. Their worth isn\u2019t determined by their size or shape, and neither is anyone else\u2019s,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s what Jennifer Hill tries to do. The 56-year-old pediatric nurse from Broomall, Pennsylvania, says her 16-year-old daughter, a cheerleader and runner, hates when she gets comments on her body.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will talk to her and if someone has mentioned something to her, I\u2019m like, \u2018You know what? Everybody\u2019s different, everybody\u2019s born different, their bodies are created different,\u2019\u201d Hill said.<\/p>\n

Though she says things have improved since her youth in the 1980s, when she recalls people being unafraid to offer the harshest comments, she still sees it as a struggle. Plus, she said, social media has added pressure. She also sees it in her work life, where she has worked with young people with emotional struggles or eating disorders. Her advice: Listen.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t want to come out and say, \u2018You know, you\u2019re really overweight,\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cYou have to tread lightly.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s about guiding them and their thinking, not just telling them what to do, Hill said. \u201cCommunication is key … I think having open conversation and letting them do a lot of the talking and not so much you.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for Grande, she spoke to fans in recent days, making a statement from the stage Monday night that she read from her phone. She said she knows fans are worried that \u201cnegativity was ruining things\u201d for her, but said the opposite is true.<\/p>\n

\u201cMultiple things can be true at the same time. Boundaries need to be set,\u201d she said. \u201cHuman beings can need a break sometimes. And also, this can be and will continue to be the greatest experience of my professional and creative life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her fans \u2014 many of them young women \u2014 erupted in cheers.<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

If you or someone you know have body image or eating concerns, the National Alliance for Eating Disorders has a helpline at (866) 662-1235. It is available Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 Talking about beauty can get really ugly \u2014 particularly when it comes to public…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":977798,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[29],"tags":[394525,179,435,12233,171,57,210,394527,394526,1165,975,22015,61,67,132,68],"class_list":["post-982989","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-music","tag-allison-butler","tag-ariana-grande","tag-celebrity","tag-eating-disorders","tag-entertainment","tag-general-news","tag-health","tag-jennifer-hill","tag-johanna-kandel","tag-lifestyle","tag-music","tag-music-videos","tag-u-s-news","tag-united-states","tag-unitedstates","tag-us"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/117044692357031127","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/982989","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=982989"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/982989\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/977798"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=982989"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=982989"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=982989"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}