+
upworthy

6 times Ariana Grande awesomely proved she isn't here for casual sexism.

In recent days, the pop star's made headlines for all the right reasons. Here are a few more examples.

Ariana Grande is perhaps best known for her pop vocal prowess, but she's also a pretty badass feminist.

It's OK if you hadn't noticed (I wasn't especially aware of this, either) as the media has a tendency to focus more on her behavior as it pertains to things like Donutgate (aka the time she said "I hate America") as opposed to, say, the times she's shut down body-shamers and music industry sexism.

Below are six times Ariana Grande showed off her feminist bona fides.


Here's Grande during a 2014 "Today" performance. Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images.

1. That time she made it clear that's she's not here for body-shamers.

After seeing someone tweet "Got asked if I'd prefer @arielwinter1 or @ArianaGrande lol, it wud DEFINITELY be @arielwinter1 curves are sexy sticks aren't," Grande typed up an epic response about body shaming and pitting women against themselves:


"We live in a day and age when people make it IMPOSSIBLE for women, men, anyone to embrace themselves exactly how they are. Diversity is sexy! Loving yourself is sexy! You know what is NOT sexy? Misogyny, objectifying, labeling, comparing and body shaming!!! Talking about people's bodies as if they're on display ASKING for your approval/opinion. THEY ARE NOT!!! CELEBRATE YOURSELF. CELEBRATE OTHERS. The things that make us different from one another make us BEAUTIFUL. BODY BOUNDARIES. LOVE LOVE LOVE ONLY."

Winter, who stars on "Modern Family," responded, and the patriarchy blew up like the Death Star (OK, not really, but it was a very cool moment).


2. That time she handled ridiculous questions during a recent radio interview by turning the tables on the DJs.

Grande recently appeared on Power 106 Los Angeles to discuss her new single, "Focus." During the course of the 26-minute interview, there were a few moments worthy of eye-rolls.

The first was when she was given a strange hypothetical question about whether she'd rather go without makeup or her phone for the rest of her life.

The second was when one of the interviewers suggested that certain emojis were "girls'" and certain were "boys.'" She had some thoughts on that, as well.


GIFs from Power 106 Los Angeles.

3. That time she and her mom teamed up to tackle gender equality at the newsstand (or at least highlight it).

Just in case you're wondering where Grande gets her feminist streak, you can thank her mom Joan.



And I could've ended this twitter conversation here, as it illustrates my point well enough, but the next two tweets are too beautiful to leave out:



4. That time back in June, when Grande went on an epic rant about sexism — both in the media and society as a whole.

"I am tired of living in a world where women are mostly referred to as a man's past, present or future PROPERTY/POSSESSION," she writes. For more highlights, check out this post over at Bustle.


5. All the times when she's been all about voicing support for women, especially on International Women's Day.

You won't usually see Grande using her social platform (with its tens of millions of followers) to tear into other women. Mostly, you'll find stuff like this, meant to lift and inspire other women to keep kicking ass. She's far from perfect, but aren't we all?




6. She's not about to let other women bring her down either — even if they're people she idolizes.

In an interview with The Telegraph, Middler shared her thoughts on the "pornification" of the music industry.

“It's terrible! It's always surprising to see someone like Ariana Grande with that silly high voice, a very wholesome voice, slithering around on a couch, looking so ridiculous. I mean, it's silly beyond belief and I don't know who's telling her to do it. I wish they'd stop. But it's not my business, I'm not her mother. Or her manager. Maybe they tell them that's what you've got to do. Sex sells. Sex has always sold."

Later, Middler added, "You don't have to make a whore out of yourself to get ahead. You really don't."

Taken aback after getting slammed by one of her idols, Grande responded by tweeting a picture of Middler doing her mermaid routine, captioning it, "Bette was always a feminist who stood for women being able to do whatever the F they wanted without judgement! Not sure where that Bette went, but I want that sexy mermaid back!!! Always a fan no matter what my love."


Maybe you don't like her music or you still feel weird about that whole doughnut thing, but at least give her credit for this.

People aren't perfect, and yes, your favorite will always be problematic. Even so, Ariana Grande deserves some major props for taking a stand on issues affecting her and all women. Way to go, Ariana!

Photo by Chris Polk/Getty Images for iHeartMedia.

Angelina Jordan blew everyone away with her version of 'Bohemian Rhapsody."


At Upworthy, we've shared a lot of memorable "America's Got Talent" auditions, from physics-defying dance performances to jaw-dropping magic acts to heart-wrenching singer-songwriter stories. Now we're adding Angelina Jordan's "AGT: The Champions" audition to the list because wow.

Jordan came to "AGT: The Champions" in 2020 as the winner of Norway's Got Talent, which she won in 2014 at the mere age of 7 with her impressive ability to seemingly channel Billie Holiday. For the 2020 audition, she sang Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody," but a version that no one had ever heard before.

With just her Amy Winehouse-ish voice, a guitar and a piano, Jordan brought the fan-favorite Queen anthem down to a smooth, melancholy ballad that's simply riveting to listen to.

Keep ReadingShow less
Family

People are applauding the dad who bought a Mustang for his teenage son living with cancer

“Dad, I’m going to squeeze a few extra months of life just to be able to drive this.”

A 2020 Mustang.

Many parents swear that a child’s first car should be a “beater.” First, it teaches them to have something to strive for in life. Second, the kid will probably put some nicks and scratches on the car, so it’s best to start with something where no one will care. Third, the insurance will be cheaper.

Finally, a kid should have to earn having nice things and starting them off with a brand new Mercedes isn’t going to instill much work ethic.

Even though a large number of parents say a teen’s first car should be a clunker, many are applauding Joe Tegerdine, a father in Springville, Utah, and his wife Kerry for buying their son Joseph, 18, a 330-horsepower 2020 Ford Mustang.

Unfortunately, Joseph has osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer and has already outlived his prognosis.

Keep ReadingShow less
@lindseyswagmom/TikTok

This daughter knew exactly what to get her dad for Secret Santa


Many people dream of somehow being able to pay their parents back for the sacrifices made for them during childhood. Whether that’s something physical, like paying off their mortgage, or simply being the best version of ourselves to make them absolutely proud.

For Lindsay Moore, it was finding a “prized possession” her dad once gave up to help the family, and returning it to him once again.

Moore still vividly remembers being only seven years old when she saw her father walk into a comic book store to sell a Dan Marino rookie football card from his first season with the Miami Dolphins.
Keep ReadingShow less
Pop Culture

Veterinarian lists things pet parents do that 'give him the ick' and they are spot-on

Though meant in good fun, these 'icks' could be helpful pointers for pet parents everywhere.

Representative Image from Canva

Vets are some of the people we'd least like to give "the ick" to


Ally McBeal first brought us the phrase “gives me the ick” back in 1999. And it’s recently had a resurgence, thanks to, you guessed it, TikTok. And while it’s mostly reserved to the dating world, the term can and has been used to describe virtually every red flag or pet peeve under the sun.

And now, thanks to Dr. Frank Bozelka, we can enjoy a veterinarian version of “icks.” And just to be clear, the icks in question don’t come from the patients themselves…but the pet parents.

While Dr. Bozelka is clearly just poking fun, he doesn’t shy away from highlighting some of the choices that pet parents make that cause some serious problems for their furry friends.

Keep ReadingShow less
Science

Yurok Tribe in California becomes first indigenous tribe to co-manage National Parks land

The Yurok had 90% of their homelands taken during the Gold Rush. Now they're getting some of it back.

The Yurok Tribe has lived among the redwoods for thousands of years.

The history of colonialism and the stealing of lands from indigenous peoples in the Americas is fraught with pain and suffering that has gone unseen by many. A growing Land Back movement has been fighting, in part, for indigenous people's reclamation of their ancestral homelands and the restoration of land management based on Native knowledge and practices.

One small but significant move in that direction has taken place in the redwood forests of northern California. The Yurok Tribe, who had 90% of their homelands stolen during the Gold Rush, has joined the Redwood National and State Parks and the nonprofit Save the Redwoods League in an agreement that will give ownership in 2026 of 125 acres (50 hectares) of land near Orick, California to the tribe.

According to the AP, the land is named 'O Rew in the Yurok language, and the tribe's cultural resources director Rosie Clayburn said the return of the land is proof of the “sheer will and perseverance of the Yurok people."

"We kind of don't give up," Clayburn said. The Yurok Tribe has been living along the Klamath River for thousands of years and is currently the largest indigenous tribe in California, with over 6,300 members. It is one of the few tribes in the state that lives on a portion of its ancestral lands.

Keep ReadingShow less
Joy

People are gushing over penguins picking out the perfect 'lucky charm' for their mate

“Oh to be a little penguin picking out a pretty rock for my love."

@detroitzoo/TikTok

This is too adorable.

Humans weren’t the only ones celebrating St. Paddy’s Day last Sunday. Penguins at the Detroit Zoo got in on the fun as well, only with more Valentine’s vibes.

“Love is king during penguin nesting time,” read the onscreen text for a video posted to the zoo’s TikTok, as the aquatic love birds scanned through a pile of colorful pebbles, searching for the perfect gift to present their partner. How romantic.

Out in the wild, this adorable courtship ritual is pretty standard, at least for Gentoo penguins. Male gentoos find a polished stone or pebble to offer their potential mates—Mother Nature’s engagement ring, if you will.

Keep ReadingShow less