Ariana Grande appears in the spring music issue of V magazine. The shoot is pretty cool because it combines Ariana’s style sense with a surprising lack of A-line skirts. A few of the shots are a little more risque than what we usually see her wearing, but the shoot is black-and-white, so the effect is muted. Clever. In the interview, Ariana repeats some topics that she’s already discussed, including her hair, her sensitivity to online criticism, and how she’s a nice girl. She also gets a little gross when the topic turns to her veganism. I have some thoughts on this, but for now, let’s turn the discussion over to Ariana:
More on her hair: “I use my hair as a mask, as a shield. I hide behind it and it’s what keeps me me. Some people make fun of me for it, but I don’t know who those some people are, so I don’t care.”
Why she took up veganism: “In America, almost everybody thinks you need to have meat for protein. Protein, protein, protein! And what’s in dairy? Calcium, calcium, calcium. It’s those kinds of proteins that latch onto the insides of your blood- stream and make it easier for you to have a heart attack. Look, cows produce milk with nutrients for cows. Maybe that’s why Americans end up looking like cows! Ultimately, no one wants cow tit pus in their food, do they?”
She’s a musician: “Music is my dharma. It’s what makes my heart smile and what I feel like I am meant to do. I understand music more than I understand human beings and the English language.”
Her idol is Madonna: “I just love how she stands up for what she believes in and surprises people by not eff-ing up when they want her to so badly…Know what I love most about Madonna? When a bad review came out, she was the first person to say ‘f–k you.’ When someone said she sounded like Minnie Mouse, she crawled into bed naked except for Minnie Mouse ears. It’s such a good attitude to have. It’s inspiring to me because there are times when I think I’ve been a weak, people-pleasing little mouse my whole life.”
On public criticism: “That’s what I’m learning right now, that I have to become stronger in this industry. I’ve learned over the past year that you don’t have time to chase after ever person who doesn’t understand you. The people that know me know that I’m a nice girl. My fans know that I’m a nice girl. My friends know that I’m a nice girl. And ultimately, that’s all that matters.”
[From V magazine]
What Ariana says about veganism is — and I could be torched for this — typical of how defensive a lot of people are about their diets. I think people are used to being criticized for how and what they eat, so sometimes they hit out with preemptive strikes. I’ve been ovo-lacto vegetarian for (holy crap) two decades now, and it used to really bug when people tried to push meat on me. Now I just shrug my shoulders. Everyone’s so busy trying to push their diets onto other people. I’m so used to getting picked on by Oklahomans that I wouldn’t dare get preachy about vegetarianism. Not worth it. I know people who stuff medium-rare steak into their faces as they tell me I’m killing myself by not going gluten-free. It never ends.
What Ariana says IS insensitive. There are studies that suggest how girls are getting their periods sooner because of all the hormones in animal products, but to say that Americans are turning into cows? Rude. She’s young though, and when we’re young, we think we know everything.
Photos courtesy of V magazine
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