ICYMI Okay. Let’s Talk About "Everyone" Getting Skinny
Dec 6, 2025
In this engaging conversation, culture writer Mikala Jamison, author of the Body Type newsletter and upcoming book The Forever Project, dives into the evolving discussion around celebrity body standards. She argues that thinness never truly disappeared, exploring societal pressures and the complexities of body positivity. Mikala criticizes public scrutiny over weight loss, discussing the implications of celebrity responses. Ultimately, she advocates for a more nuanced dialogue about body image that prioritizes recovery and understanding over individual condemnation.
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Ariana Grande's Personal Explanation
- Kate Lindsay plays Ariana Grande's 2023 video where Grande explains her prior thinness came with severe health issues.
- Grande describes antidepressant misuse, drinking, and being at "the lowest point" when she looked the way people call healthy.
Good Intentions Can Backfire
- Concern about celebrities' bodies splits into two camps: silence vs. protective intervention.
- Jamison explains well-intentioned 'prevention' posts can paradoxically worsen disordered eating by signaling approval.
Talk Trends, Not Individuals
- Avoid naming or shaming individual bodies when criticizing cultural trends because it harms compassion and is unproductive.
- Jamison recommends zooming out to discuss patterns and prevention instead of posting before/after images.
