Opinion | Why can’t Ariana Grande be a musical theater powerhouse and a pop star?

“Evil“was phenomenal. It was so phenomenal that the night after its release I had to start putting my thoughts down on paper in my parents’ guest room – with the newly released soundtrack playing in the background, of course. I spent the drive home from the theater spewing out all the fun facts and innuendos – I had kept my mouth shut to avoid pointing them out in the middle of the movie.

In case you don’t know, I’m a Wicked fanatic. I’ve been waiting for the film adaptation to come out for years, ever since I first saw the show live on Broadway when I was 13. Since then, I’ve had the original recording of the cast permanently burned into my brain and could probably recite the entire show back and forth by now. Even at 20 years old, the last chorus of “Defying Gravity” gives me goosebumps, and “Popular” is my favorite prep song.

So it was the world-famous, ubiquitously recognizable pop star Ariana Grande selected to play When I saw my favorite character Glinda in 2021, I was a little skeptical. I, like many othersShe was initially worried that her Nickelodeon Acting credits would serve as insufficient experience for the role. I also feared that her status as a pop star would elevate her songs and make her unable to break away from the character. My doubts faded when I learned about Grande’s commitment to her performance Trust She had received money from the film’s director, so I went to the cinema with almost complete trust in her.

My final concerns were dispelled at the end of the first song. Grande was anything but poppy – she was operatic, and it was clear she had put a lot of effort into getting the voice the role required. Throughout the film, she both perfectly executed Glinda’s physical comedy and captured the character’s nuances with her dramatic acting skills. From start to finish, I didn’t feel like I was watching Ariana Grande play Glinda. I watched an actress step into a role she was born to play.

Grande completely exceeded my expectations and that critics’ expectations. So why so many? Corners of the Internet Has she continued to tear up her performance over a week after the film’s release?

For years before production began and well beyond, hundreds of Reddit users complained non-stop about Grande across the site. My own TikTok feed has been flooded with new criticism for days.

Some have accused her of being one Marketing cast – meaning she was chosen primarily to boost ticket sales and that other, more deserving actresses were passed over because they weren’t famous enough. Both before and after the film’s release, people complained about every little detail of her style and mannerisms that they could tell from her character Eyebrows To the way she blinks. They say it was her too stiff and didn’t evoke enough emotion in the film, but it still is too emotional on the press tour. Many posts from Grande’s 11,000 users on the hate subreddit attack her personal life to criticize her career, which is not only illogical but downright despicable.

Despite the negativity of the vocal minority, critics, untrained audience And former Broadway Glindas Everyone agrees that Grande shined on screen. She did justice to her character and no one can say she didn’t deserve legitimately the chance to prove she was capable of it. Why do certain internet users seem fixated on their complaints and refuse to acknowledge their merits?

Short answer: People really hate it when a woman succeeds. It’s worth noting that many of these subreddits full of hate towards Grande also contain hateful comments directed at her co-star. Cynthia Erivowho plays Elphaba. Jonathan Bailey, the male lead of “Wicked,” gets the lead role no such criticism in user comments.

Similar patterns emerge among male stars who, like Grande, are known for their careers as pop musicians but have also taken on serious acting roles. Harry Styles received praise online for his role in the 2017 film “Dunkirk” with users to defend his performance and pointed out that he “auditioned for the role and got it fair and square” — just like Grande did. He certainly had to take some criticism for that previous glorybut nowhere near the level that Grande has sustained.

On the other hand, the recognition for Justin Timberlake’s acting career – of NSYNC and solo career fame – was great. Reddit users call him underestimated And a better actor than musicianand in general he receives little criticism online. The public has allowed him to seamlessly transition from pop icon to credible actor, without protest or resistance.

Why can’t Grande be given the same opportunity? She’s clearly worked hard to establish herself in the musical theater field, but audiences would rather she stick with what she knows – or rather, what they know her for. It is a clear expression of the double standards that female celebrities cannot escape when making career moves. Their male colleagues are given the benefit of the doubt while being criticized at every turn – even when their achievements are nothing short of incredible.

Grace Longworth is TPN’s deputy editor-in-chief who managed to turn her love and enthusiasm for her favorite Broadway show into a feminist argument. You can rave about “Wicked” to her to your heart’s content at (email protected).