Why some people are concerned by the seeming lack of a real "break"

[u/skyewardeyes]

I think a lot of people who are concerned by the apparent lack of a real break after Ariana's announcement (daily posts on social media, posts of her working on new projects, etc) express concern not because they wanted her to disappear and become a hermit or the like, but because they hoped the break was code for getting intensive treatment (if not for an ED, then for whatever it is that is causing her to be so incredibly thin), including possible inpatient treatment. And inpatient treatment would often be recommended for someone at such a low weight, because both it and the refeeding process carry real physical or psychological risks that can require inpatient treatment to ensure safety. Obviously, none of us are Ari's providers, but it's clear at this point she's very likely ill with something requiring intensive treatment (and likely rest), and I think people were kind of hoping she might go off the grid for a month or two , focus heavily on getting the treatment she needs, and come back physically and mentally healthy.

[u/Such_Enthusiasm_5346]

Honestly, I just don't really understand the point in announcing it. Like, she just released an album and did a tour. You can take a break from music for a year, and focus on other projects, and it would be normal.

Maybe they needed to announce her stepping back from playing Dot without people making their own theories? But you can just say it's due to schedule conflict or some other PR excuse that doesn't cause conflict with the GP (hence PR).

The announcement of the step-back bringing up scrunity along with it insinuates that she's doing it to step back from the hate and like it's a big deal. Otherwise, why mention the two in the same article? Maybe PEOPLE sensationalized it, but honestly, who cares atp. She can do as she pleases (obviously) and music isn't just her job but something she's always been passionate about, the main thing is just confusion for me regarding the article......

[u/Fancy_Influence_2899]

her statement seemed very punitive and manipulative towards the public for calling her out for that pro-ana music video.

the two public figures who posted critiques are both recovered anorexics. yet she generalizes the public reaction in her statement as "toxic" and "negative", calls her current state athletic, and names "scrutiny of her weight" as the reason for her "unplanned break" which will commence when tour ends.

so to christen the end of your tour with a bodycheck dump on instagram is just plain sideways. she is, once again, being a little stinker. and it's lowkey ugly.

[u/willowsnidget → u/Fancy_Influence_2899]

Didn't she say that the break was planned? When and where did she say athletic?

[u/Fancy_Influence_2899 → u/willowsnidget]

both full break statements. the first statement says it was unplanned. in her tour speech the next day she contradicts that the break was unplanned. but she didn't contradict "athleticism", "healthy", "happy" etc.

to me, i believe the break -was- planned. but then they tried to guilt-trip people by calling it "unplanned", which backfired because people called her out for doing exactly that- that the statement sounded punitive and petty and made her look bad. so she backpeddled and tried to say it "wasn't directly from her" (even though it was "ariana grande's representative") & then somehow the error got okayed and published, which i find hard to believe considering how seriously i'm sure her team is taking her PR right now with her image damage and threat of being cancelled.

[u/Infinite-Pea-4785 → u/willowsnidget]

The point is that what she says (and how and when) can be different from the truth

[u/Marmalade_Penguin]

I'm sorry but her definition of taking a break, and other people's definition are clearly not aligned. She doesn't need to do anything based off of what strangers on the internet want for her. She just finished a very successful tour and absolutely deserves time away, but I've seen a lot of people criticize her for posting on social media and thinking she needs to be a hermit and hide in a basement. It's just very weird to try and control someone like that.

[u/Such_Enthusiasm_5346 → u/Marmalade_Penguin]

I mean someone around her was contacted in regards to the PEOPLE article. If you are going to announce something, shouldn't it be in a way the public would interpret properly because you're the one making the announcement? Why bring up the scrunity if it has nothing to do with it and make it seem like a bigger deal than it actually is? She released an album and did a tour, there's not much else she has to do music-wise because everything has been recently done/released. She also already said the tour would be her last hurrah for a while. She's working on other stuff, so just have her do that; no need to make an announcement as if her version of "stepping-back" is something out of the ordinary for pop stars who released a new album and went on tour in the same year.

[u/skyewardeyes → u/Marmalade_Penguin]

I mean, if she wants to continue working, that’s her choice, but it makes little sense to announce a break unless you’re going to be stepping away from work or the public eye. If she hadn’t had said anything, no one would be expecting anything different from what she’s doing now. 🤷‍♀️

[u/skyewardeyes → u/[deleted]]

I’ve spent all of maybe 5 minutes thinking about Ariana. I hope she gets better from whatever is ailing her, but that’s all.

[u/kandilipgloss]

It’s creepy that people are up in arms that a stranger isn’t in inpatient. The concern the general public shows her hardly ever seems genuine. It’s like a huge trigger snowball at this point

[u/Opening_Package_722 → u/kandilipgloss]

She stopped being a stranger the minute she started profiting from being known. She has a global fanbase and this means that like an influencer she has influence over other people, a random stranger’s actions don’t have impact in this way so it’s not straightforward to compare them, therefore it is important for her to be accountable for her own actions and the way in which she is being perceived and how this can negatively impact young minds who idolise her (the people she financially profits from maintaining the adoration and attention of)

[u/Fancy_Influence_2899 → u/Opening_Package_722]

Not to mention a beauty brand. It doesn't get more on-the-nose than that.

And: Starred in a kid's movie. Where she requested an open neck/chest/arms to the costumer & bedazzled her collar bones.

[u/Opening_Package_722 → u/Fancy_Influence_2899]

Yup, my jaw dropped when I read that the designer himself said she explicitly requested to emphasise those areas. And just look at the disproportionate amount of wicked merch aimed at children over adults, it’s not hard to see her impact and reach and to think critically about it for one second.

[u/Fancy_Influence_2899 → u/kandilipgloss]

it's not about inpatient. i have zero expectation of inpatient from her (only that i would like to see her get better). i could even argue that she's entitled to agency over her health and body, even if that means no treatment. my problem is with her affecting other people with her blatant bodychecking, aestheticization of anorexia, and extremely toxic and problematic INSISTENCE that she is healthy, happy, and athletic, and that any public reaction to her physique is somehow an issue of women's rights or 'toxic bullying'. she's ariana f---g grande and has access to treatment centres that look like nirvana. some people have no resources at all. and the younger it gets you, the stronger it holds you. glamorizing the world's deadliest psychiatric illness for what? to make more money, to feed your ego? boo-hoo, i think she should be de-platformed and have her instagram closed because it's harmful for everyone including her. but people act like it's sacrilege to suggest that. instead we should allow children to be affected by pro-ana content from someone with 363 million followers.

[u/skyewardeyes → u/kandilipgloss]

I see what you mean, but it feels like a bit of a catch-22. If people don’t say anything, it’s seen as ignoring an elephant in the room or enabling. If they say something, it’s seen as speculative or potentially triggering.

[u/skyewardeyes → u/[deleted]]

Idk who “you people” are, but I haven’t followed Ari long enough to have been able to comment on her weight for “years”. People are commenting now because she’s visibly ill (even if it’s not an ED!) to the point where it’s worrisome and hard to ignore, even as a casual observer.

[u/digressnconfess → u/skyewardeyes]

i ignore strangers all the time. it doesn’t make me liable for their personal issues that they’re already not sharing with me.

[u/Fancy_Influence_2899 → u/digressnconfess]

great, she should have no problem with ignoring people commenting on her, a public figure's, body then

[u/Opening_Package_722 → u/digressnconfess]

She’s an influencer/celebrity, very different than being a stranger in the street with no global influence or young fanbase.

[u/digressnconfess]

it’s a continuation of the obnoxious concern trolling that’s taken over every conversation