Ariana Grande Is Right – When Will We Stop Commenting On Other People’s Bodies?

We’ve been having this conversation for years.

And yet, here we are again. A celebrity forced to ask fans not to comment on their appearance, and the pretence that certain comments are coming from a place of concern.

This week, Ariana Grande took to TikTok to ask fans to stop commenting on her body. In an impassioned yet gentle video, the star said that she was aware of the conversations happening, comparing her current body to what she looked like some years ago.

“I think we should be gentler and less comfortable commenting on people’s bodies, no matter what,” she said. “If you think you’re saying something good or well intentioned, whatever it is… We should really work toward not doing that as much.”

Ariana went on to say that you never know what someone is going through, and that the version of her body she is being compared to was, in fact, her “unhealthiest.”

“Even if you are coming from a loving place or a caring place, that person probably is working on it or has a support system that they are working on it with,” she added. “You never know, so be gentle with each other and with yourselves.”

 

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Following Ariana’s post, Bella Hadid took to Instagram to reshare the message and add some words of her own.

“You never know what someone is dealing with mentally or physically,” she said. “Disease or depression. Grief or heartache. You just don’t, and you will never know until you walk in a day in their shoes. Instead of unsolicited advice or opinions, judgement or aggression, just try to offer a helping hand and be kind.”

Bella went on to say that there is always a reason why people look or feel a certain way. She added that “Instagram is not real and we need to look deeper and consciously remind ourselves that each of us are just human beings.”

At the time of writing, Ariana’s TikTok has been viewed 65 million times (and that’s not including the countless times it’s been reshared elsewhere). Her words have been applauded, and rightly so.

But as we know, Ariana isn’t the first celebrity to speak out in such a way – and she won’t be the last. In 2021, Jonah Hill asked fans to stop commenting on his body because “it’s not helpful and doesn’t feel good.” The following year, Jessie J expressed similar, saying: “Stop commenting on people’s weight, just stop. Or telling someone they look pregnant for sure, or you look skinny.”

 

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In 2022, Lizzo called out the “delusion” of those commenting on her appearance. This year, Selena Gomez urged followers to accept that she is “enjoying herself” following derogatory comments about her body at the Golden Globes.

The list goes on, and will continue to do so. Aside from Ariana, Lana Del Rey is the latest celebrity to be targeted by the body police. The release of her latest album has triggered a slew of abhorrent TikToks ‘reminiscing’ over her body in the early 2010s – a time when she was in her early 20s, and at her thinnest.

Although Lana has chosen not to comment on the the matter (and why should she have to?), the content has once again proven that women will, by many, only be considered “beautiful” and “god-like” when their bodies do not change, no matter how much time passes.

In Ariana’s case, such body talk is often misrepresented as care. Fans are just “worried” about her. She looks “sick.” This isn’t a “good look.”

No woman, no matter their celeb-status, (or lack, thereof) should have to explain why they look a certain way. They shouldn’t have to justify their appearance. They shouldn’t have to give context to their body.

After all, Bella Hadid said it best: “If someone wants to talk badly about another person, remove yourself from the conversation. It’s so much cooler to be kind.”

• Ariana Grande
• Bella Hadid
• Lana Del Rey