Ribs May Be All We Remember: On Ariana Grande and the Scrutiny of Women's Bodies

Pop superstar Ariana Grande's "Eternal Sunshine" tour, her first in seven years, has ignited a firestorm of online commentary, but not about her music. Instead, the conversation fixates on her body, with countless TikTok videos dissecting her perceived emaciation and labeling it a harmful ideal. Some users even accuse Grande of promoting anorexia.

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I am old enough to remember Karen Carpenter

Concerns for Grande's health are mounting, with many drawing parallels to Karen Carpenter, the beloved singer who tragically died of anorexia at age 32 in 1983. Fans worry Grande might suffer a similar fate as she embarks on her 41-date tour.

This intense focus on Grande's physical appearance highlights a recurring issue: the tendency to reduce accomplished women to their looks and private lives, especially before their deaths. The article contrasts this with the public discourse surrounding male artists, who are more often discussed in terms of their creative output and professional achievements, rather than their personal struggles or physical attributes.

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My previous body was the result of a period where I lived unhealthily, ate poorly and took antidepressants.

Grande herself addressed body comparisons three years ago in a TikTok video, explaining that her previous body resulted from an unhealthy period of poor eating and medication. She urged people to stop commenting on others' bodies, noting that individuals might already be "working on it."

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The person who is the subject of the debate might already be 'working on it' – and asked people to stop commenting on others' bodies.