How Ariana Grande’s body became political

commentary MAGA influencers want women not just thin, but weak Senior Writer Published August 5, 2026 6:45AM (EDT) Ariana Grande at the 83rd Annual Golden Globes (Christopher Polk/2026GG/Penske Media via Getty Images) Ariana Grande has been concerningly thin for years now, but the online discourse about her body exploded this week after she released the music video for “Petal,” the title track of her most recent album. The video’s storyline, in which the 33-year-old pop singer gets “Carrie”-style revenge for men’s misogynist judgments, was completely overshadowed by fan alarm at Grande’s apparent emaciation. Set in the 1960s, the colorful retro fashions hang off her skeletal frame. “I can’t even enjoy the video without thinking she looks sickly every second she is on the screen,” one perso