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Ariana Grande’s appearance in a new music video has sparked speculation, commentary and intense debate over the question of when — if ever — the public should weigh in on a woman's body.

The pop star and Wicked actor is not the first woman in the public eye to come under intense scrutiny, so how has the way we talk about celebrities’ bodies changed over time?

We ask Monica Hesse,  screens critic for The Washington Post, and Sarah Ditum, journalist and author of Toxic: Women, Fame, and the Tabloid 2000s, whether it’s ever OK to talk about a woman’s appearance.

(Photo: Ariana Grande at the 83rd Annual Golden Globes in January 2026. Credit: Christopher Polk/Getty Images)

Producer: Mhairi MacKenzie and Sam Chantarasak

Executive producer: Martine Powers

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins