Kendra Brea Cooper
Even though Ariana Grande is nominated for the "Biggest Fans" award at the MTV EMAs, she has a very complicated relationship with them, the internet, and how she's perceived.
The rumour about Grande wishing death upon her fans while in an elevator, is hitting every celebrity blog out there. It's hard to know what's fact and what's fiction, especially when it's concerning an artist who still has an identity to carve out. The reality is that personalities aren't as one-sided as they're portrayed in the media, and pop stars are more than just their characters in music videos.
Every time Ariana Grande bats her eyelashes in a music video, I'm immediately taken back to her character, Cat Valentine, on Victorious. I don't think stars, even with major transformations, ever really shed the images of their past. Ariana's fans grew to love her through this Nickelodeon show.
The Sam and Cat pilot opened to an audience of about 4 million people. Sam (ICarly) and Cat (Victorious) are two of the most loved characters on television, and they definitely got laughs as odd-couple room mates.
Ariana is set to perform with Little Big Town at the 2014 CMAs. The announcement received a mixed response from country fans, and some are disappointed because of their expectations of "purity" in genres. Music is fluid, and it's not held tight by any genre lines because artists are influenced by all the sounds around them. It's no surprise that the CMAs want to bring in a little pop, because they'll bring in viewers as well.
With stories flying around about negative things she has said about fans, to terrible meet and greets, people are questioning her appreciation for her fans. Ariana responded with a thread of twitter messages, promising that the stories are lies and she cares about her fan base. The interesting thing about all of this, is that fans demand a certain amount of respect from their idols, and this relationship isn't just blind love. As a pop star, you're up on a pedestal, but if you don't appreciate it (or at least pretend to), that pedestal will be chipped away bit by bit.
Ariana interacts with her fans over social media with reminders of love and appreciation. Nobody writes fan mail any more, because they have a direct connection over Twitter, and new artists like Grande cannot avoid it. Fans want to know they're getting genuine messages typed by the hand of the artist, and they expect a response. Twitter is the great leveller.
According to the Daily Mail, "Ariana added (to the diva accusations) that the industry's double standards mean that a male artist in the same position would simply be called an 'amazing businessman'. Ariana might not be wrong about this, as other artists (Nicki Minaj) have complained about this standard in the industry as well.
The death of Ariana's grandfather was a hashtag trend on twitter. She lived out one of her most personal moments, the death of a family member, over social media like an interactive memorial. She also shares her food choices and feelings about animal rights with the public. Social media has a way of digging out the personal better than any celebrity interviewer could.
As a new artist, Grande is still establishing an image. It's almost as if she has to fit in by how she compares to all the other artists, and define herself against them and beside them. Right now, the space hasn't really opened up, leaving her vulnerable to rumours of what she's "really like".
Fans buy the albums, pay for concerts, and share the photos. With the power of the internet, fans are the ones who craft the image of an artist, through artwork, fan fiction, and their social media sites. Hardcore fan bases usually have a name (Arianators, Beliebers, Directioners), because their connection to an artist is part (even if for a small time) of their identity, and in turn, they create an identity for the pop star.
Pop culture and all that ideology sitting in the blind spot. Also crafts.
