What If We're Not Actually Worried About Ariana Grande

If you enjoy essays written by someone who spends an unreasonable amount of time thinking about these things so you don't have to, consider becoming a paid subscriber.Everyone says they’re concerned about Ariana Grande.I believe them. Looking at recent photos from her tour, it’s hard not to have a reaction. Ariana Grande doesn’t look merely thin. Her collarbones protrude sharply. Her ribs are visible. Her frame appears dramatically diminished. Whether or not any of us can know what is happening behind the scenes, the images evoke associations with illness and malnourishment, which helps explain why they’ve generated such a visceral response.But I don’t think concern fully explains what’s happening.If this were simply concern, the conversation would be much smaller. Concern doesn’t usually generate thousands of comments, endless tiktoks, think pieces, reddit threads, and group chats. It doesn’t explain why so many women seem emotionally activated by these images, why they keep…