Let me start off by saying that Ariana Grande licking doughnuts that are likely going to be sold on to other customers in an American diner is certainly not something I stand by. It was foolish and childish behaviour and something that she has now apologised for - twice.
I know this wasn't the only thing she did - she also claimed to "hate America" in the leaked footage we've all seen obtained by TMZ, but it was quite obvious from the very beginning that she was making the comments in quite a blasé fashion, rather than actually harbouring a huge hatred for her country and plotting to take it down. This isn't an episode of Pinky and the Brain, this is a young adult singer, who's been thrust into the limelight and wanted to make a comment on childhood obesity, likely to show off to her rumoured boyfriend.
The past 24 hours have seen Ariana release a video where she apologises to all of her fans and those offended by her actions in the video, and she even goes as far as to say she was "disgusted" in herself after watching the footage back. But really, does she need to sweat the small stuff? Were her actions really that deplorable, or something we could quite easily brush under the rug? I'd go with the latter.
Something you may not know about Ariana is the work she's done for a number of charities. In the past she has supported the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, PETA, the Entertainment Industry Foundation, the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, Stand Up To Cancer, the TJ Martell Foundation and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital to name just eight.
Why didn't most of us know about this work in the past? Because it's not scandalous. When it comes to being a female popstar in the modern-day world, the mainstream media don't really care about what you're doing right. Instead, they'll build you up slowly but surely, always waiting for that one opportunity for you to slip so you can be torn down within an instant. We're seeing it play out today, with this very scenario. Still media is trying to pick out the bad through her apology. Just a glance at the Daily Mail's chosen headline - 'Ariana Grande apologises on YouTube for 'donut fiasco' but not to Wolfee Donuts' - shows exactly what their intent is.
So Ariana Grande licked some doughnuts and made a silly comment - so what? I've done worse things. Haven't you? Wolfee Donuts will likely be kicking themselves for not being able to put the doughnuts aside in advance post-licking, for maximum value. Some fans somewhere would've paid a nice buck for them. And they've gotta love all this exposure they're getting for their store.
For the most part, Ariana has always exuded class. There was of course once an incident with Giuliana Rancic where the E! broadcaster spoke out over rumours the singer had earned herself a "difficult" reputation, saying she thought Ariana did "have a little bit of a diva thing going on." That made worldwide headlines.
Despite that Ariana bounced back. She's continued to climb the charts with her releases and impress with her incredible vocals. Now she's working on a brand new album and she continues to tease those she has on Snapchat with little snippets of potential songs that could make the cut. She's just been touring and visited the UK during the string of dates, posing with fans in a sweet meet-and-greet style photobooth and showing her down to earth side. We as fans of music should be celebrating the talents and achievements of such a young, female, brilliant popstar rather than using any given situation to tear her down.
Ariana Grande will learn from her mistakes, but will the media? That's unlikely.
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