Ariana Grande is a female celebrity, which unfortunately means that over the years, she has been subject to many comments about her appearance, both positive and not. Grande has some thoughts on this.
In an interview alongside Cynthia Erivo with French YouTuber Sally that was shared yesterday (December 5), Grande was asked about how she deals with society’s beauty standards. After the question was asked, she was seemingly holding back tears as Erivo comforted her. Grande then responded:
“I’ve been kind of doing this in front of the public and kind of been, you know, a specimen in a petri dish, really, since I was 16 or 17. So, I have heard it all. I have heard every version of it, of what’s wrong with me. And then you fix it, and then it’s wrong for different reasons. That’s everything from even just the simplest thing, your appearance. You’re young, you’re hearing all kinds of things.
It’s hard to protect yourself from that noise, and I think it’s something that is uncomfortable no matter what scale you’re experiencing it on. 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 is uncomfortable and horrible no matter where it’s happening, no matter the scale it’s happening on.
I think in today’s society, there’s a comfortability that we shouldn’t have at all, commenting on others’ looks, appearance, what they think is going on behind the scenes, or health, or how they present themselves. From what you’re wearing to your body to your face to your everything, there’s a comfortability that people have commenting on that that I think is really dangerous, and I think it’s dangerous for all parties involved.
I think that I’m really lucky to have the support system I have, and to just know and trust that I’m beautiful. […] But I do know what the pressure of that noise feels like. It’s been a resident in my life since I was 17, and I just don’t invite it in anymore, it’s not welcome. I have work to do, I have a life to live, I have friends to love on, I have so much love, and it’s not invited. So, I don’t leave space for it anymore.
And however you can protect yourselves from that noise — whether it’s at a family reunion or online, if you’ve got to block people, I don’t care, if you delete the app entirely — you keep yourself safe, because no one has the right to say to say sh*t.”
Watch the video above.
