Most of us are pretty tired of body shaming, and so is Ariana Grande. Through kind words, she kicked bullies to the curb and gave people a food-for-thought takeaway.
Global (12 April, 2023) — Body shaming has been around for pretty much as long as we’ve had bodies (and the ability to over-analyze them). Despite being more aware of body shaming’s negative impact than ever before, society still plays bully. Positively, more and more people are speaking up for their bodies and the bodies of others, including pop and R&B sweetheart, Ariana Grande.
Ariana Grande might not be one to share her opinion often, but when she does, people tend to take notes. In a recent video, she kindly kicked back at her own body shamers and questioners and left millions of people with a beautiful bowl of thought.
No stranger to the endless public gaze —especially after stepping into a more natural era after years of wearing fake lashes and winged eyeliner that could slice an apple—Ariana decided to address people’s opinions.
And questions. And ‘conversation starters’ all about her body, a topic that’s been ridiculously ongoing for over a decade.
“You have talked a lot about [my body] over the past decade or longer so i’d like to join in this time. :)” — Ariana Grande.
Starting off, she shared that she doesn’t engage in this kind of address often.
Things soon unfolded into a series of soft thoughts, ranging from how people shouldn’t be comfortable commenting on other people’s appearances, to how society’s version of ‘healthy’ isn’t always the individual’s.
In Ariana Grande’s Words:
“I think we should be gentler and less comfortable commenting on people’s bodies, no matter what. If you think you’re saying something good and well-intentioned, whatever it is, healthy, unhealthy, big small, this, that, sexy, not sexy…we just shouldn’t. We should really work toward not doing that as much.”
“There are ways to compliment someone or to ignore something you see that you don’t like that I think we should help each other work towards. Just to aim towards being safer and keeping each other safer.”
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Ariana then went on to break it down into three points that all of us should keep in our back pocket.
1. There are so many kinds of beautiful and healthy.
2. No one ever knows what someone else is going through or what they’re working on.
3. Beauty isn’t subject to a phase.
“There are many different kinds of beautiful, there many different ways to look healthy and beautiful.
“I know personally for me, the body that you’ve been comparing my body to, was the unhealthiest version of my body. I was on a lot of antidepressants and drinking on them and eating poorly and at the lowest point of my life when i looked the way you consider ‘my healthy.’
“I know I shouldn’t have to explain that but I do feel like having an openness and some sort of vulnerability here like good might come from it.” —Ariana Grande.
Of not knowing what someone else is going through, she shared that people should be gentler.
“Even if you are coming from a loving place and a caring place, that person probably is working on it, or has a support system that they are working on it with.
“So be gentle with each other and with yourselves.”
Her third message, one of love shared:
“You’re beautiful no matter what phase you’re in.”
“I think you’re beautiful no matter what you’re going through, no matter what weight, no matter how like to do your makeup these days, no matter what cosmetic procedures you’ve had or not or anything.”
Why Being Body Positive Matters
It’s easy to get caught up in a world constantly focused on Instagram-approved appearances, whether you’re a celebrity or just someone with a body trying to live your life.
A study published in the International Journal of Bullying Prevention shared that body shaming can range from “well-meant advice to malevolent insults” and that it’s a form of social aggression that impacts mental health.
So, how do we combat this? Body positivity, friends, which means praising our own small victories on our wellness journeys and understanding that health isn’t a one-size-fits-all pair of jeans. It’s encouraging others to avoid the ‘urge’ to share their opinion on someone else’s temple, and uplifting each other along the way.
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