The journalist and TV presenter has put his foot in it… again
Ariana Grande has hit out at Piers Morgan in defence of women who choose to show off their bodies in the public eye.
Criticising girl band Little Mix for posing naked to promote their new song “Strip”, Piers mocked their “feminist statement” and accused the group of using sex to sell records.
Piers, known for being a provocateur on issues like this, then felt the wrath of pop starlet Ariana, who waded in to the spat, stating: “I use my talent and my sexuality all the time because I choose to.
“Women can be sexual and talented. Naked and dignified. It’s our choice,” Ariana tweeted.
https://twitter.com/ArianaGrande/status/1065298951711031296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1065298951711031296&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fentertainment-arts-46297345
Piers’ comments came from a debate about the image and Little Mix on ITV’s Good Morning Britain earlier in the week where he said the girl band were using a naked photo shoot for attention and accused them of “using sex to sell records.”
The photograph in question was a promotional shot for the band’s new song “Strip” and showed the girls naked with insults written all over their bodies.
Little Mix’s New Video Is a Love Letter to Individual Beauty https://t.co/jdh5z3rk1h pic.twitter.com/0zgGvo6wV7
— Teen Vogue (@TeenVogue) November 21, 2018
Speaking to the BBC, Little Mix explained that the image represented all of their flaws and “how far they’ve come” on a journey toward “self-love.”
Piers however wasn’t buying it and made it clear for him the image had nothing to do with body positivity.
“Here’s a great idea, girls – if you want to really empower yourselves, get naked and put the word slut all over your body,” Morgan said on Good Morning Britain, before showing a mock photo-shopped image of him posing naked.
ICYMI: The photo that's got global superstars going crazy: pic.twitter.com/u8kfseMmgA
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) November 21, 2018
“Why don’t we stop pretending that getting your kit off is feminist empowerment?” he added, before highlighting other celebrities who have posed nude, including Kim Kardashian.
Little Mix’s Jesy Nelson then told the BBC’s Nick Grimshaw that Piers Morgan was a “silly twat” for his comments on the band’s latest single campaign.
She then posted pictures of herself posing in underwear on her Instagram account.
The next day, Piers said on the programme: “Oh Jesy, you’ve let yourself down, love” before tweeting that the 27-year-old looked “ridiculous” and claimed the band had stolen the idea for the photograph from the Dixie Chicks.
https://twitter.com/piersmorgan/status/1064880154198065152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1064880154198065152&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fentertainment-arts-46297345
So where does Ariana Grande fit in to all of this?
After Piers also accused the Ellen DeGeneres show of hypocrisy for a segment where she “celebrated” images of handsome men, including some partially clothed, Ariana’s mother, Joan, joined the row by quoting Morgan’s tweet about the Dixie Chicks and saying: “Didn’t your mother ever teach you, if you have nothing nice to say, don’t say it!”
The presenter then replied with:
Hi Joan, my mother taught me to speak my mind & never be afraid to express honestly held opinion.
Ellen's a hypocrite – and as for Little Mix, I'd just prefer they use their talent to sell records rather than their nudity.
As your own daughter does…! https://t.co/nCQAsIgoVG— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) November 21, 2018
Countering with a scathing reply, Joan said: “Trash talk for the sake of denigrating women doing their jobs is at best misogynistic and at worst undignified and ignorant!”
Ariana then joined in and clapped back at Piers with a series of tweets of her own about women’s right to show off their bodies if they want to.
Accusing him of hypocrisy while supporting the band, who have toured with her and performed at her One Love Manchester concert, she tweeted:
https://twitter.com/ArianaGrande/status/1065299297065885696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1065299297065885696&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fentertainment-arts-46297345
“I look forward to the day you realize there are other ways to go about making yourself relevant than to criticize young, beautiful, successful women for everything they do,” Ariana added.
https://twitter.com/ArianaGrande/status/1065300013335556096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1065300013335556096&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fentertainment-arts-46297345
She ended her string of messages with “Thank U, Fuckin’ next,” a more explicit version of her now trademark phrase.
https://twitter.com/ArianaGrande/status/1065302311575027713
Ellen and Little Mix both shared their support.
I ❤️ you, @JoanGrande and @ArianaGrande, and everyone in this world who celebrates all people inclusively.
— Ellen DeGeneres (@EllenDeGeneres) November 21, 2018
thank you ♥️ what we do with our bodies is our choice and we felt liberated owning the negative words thrown at us as women. We’ll never stop talking/writing music about issues that affect so many women around the world. We have a voice to use it! we love you Ari 🖤 the girls x
— Little Mix (@LittleMix) November 21, 2018
Piers being Piers continued the row:
Hi Ariana!
How lovely to hear from you so soon after your mother.
Of course, women can do what they like – but if they/you use nudity to sell records to impressionable young female fans, I'll continue to call them/you out on it.
All due respect, but thank YOU. Next… https://t.co/PpRK5Wqs92— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) November 21, 2018
Now now, young lady – my career's doing just fine thanks.
For the record, I criticise/praise everyone – male, female, gender-fluid.
Indeed, I've written columns praising AND criticising you, and you deserved both. https://t.co/vfsDNqzYLl— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) November 21, 2018
Making sure he got the last word, he asked if Ariana’s screensaver was him posing naked, before asking her to come on Good Morning Britain to “settle things.”
