ARIANATORS - ARIANA GRANDE’S OUT OF THIS WORLD FANBASE
SHYANE VOLACK
Television star on the show "Victorious" turned world-known pop-star, Ariana Grande fans coined themselves the "Arianators," as the fanbase for the "7-Rings" singer grew tremendously over the following years. The fanbase name originates from the singer's first name of course, with an ode to her galactic obsession - hence the "tors." An Arianator simply put, is a fan of the singer, songwriter, and actress (Wiktionary, 2023). The fanbase doesn't require a certain age, look, or personality - rather just a love for Grande’s music! Of course, hardcore fans may quiz you about her broadway days, as she starred in 13 when first stepping into the spotlight, but the fandom itself doesn't discriminate.
DRESS, WALK, TALK LIKE AN ARIANATOR
Stepping into the world of the singer’s fanbase, some hardcore fans don’t take their obsession lightly. From simply rocking an Ariana Grande inspired costume on Halloween to repping the singer’s notorious up-tight ponytail daily - some fans are physically and drastically inspired by Grande’s style. An oversized crewneck, knee-high boots, and a high and tight pony-tail, may or may not lead to Ariana Grande “lookalike” accusations. The style the singer proudly known for however, can easily be replicated and even videos showing fans how to dress like Grande can be found on YouTube. Arianator Elizabeth even made an inspired outfits she thrifted to get the full Grande effect through fashion styling.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Fan accounts can be discovered in Ariana’s following and comment section on all social media platforms. Being involved in the entertainment industry, her fans discuss her upcoming music, projects, and reminisce about past eras. Every album she releases is connected to an iconic era and the fandom goes into depth about their favorite one depending on the social media account: the Honeymoon era, where Grande showcased red hair and mini skirts; the Positions era, where Grande left her high pony-tail behind and went for a softer look - each one resonates and is considered a favorite with her fan accounts. As for Instagram accounts, some post images and videos of behind the scenes and footage of Ariana’s sell-out concerts. The followers even sometimes go for a reach - believing photoshopped images of their idol, unsure if it came from a credible source. “As the 2023 Barbie movie rose to the attention of the media, there was even speculation Grande was starring in the movie, as photoshopped fanart caught wind,” PopBuzz explains. Having fan accounts post about the celebrity, it’s hard to be sure if the information is accurate or a dud. Keeping tabs on the singer however, more often than not, helps the fandom stay up-to-date with her, regardless of the here and there reach of misinformation.
ARIANATORS ARE SWEET(ner)
The fandom themselves are warm-hearted, caring individuals - supporting Grande through her own hard-ships and even other fans going through rough patches in their lives. Amelia Parchinski, a young girl suffering from an autoimmune disease, was unable to attend the 2019 Sweetener World Tour. Posting about her complications on the social media platform TikTok, fans merged together - offering Amelia concert footage and even autographed merchandise as a merciful gift, for being unable to attend. As for Ariana's personal complications, she has suffered losses both romantically and personally that fans supported her through. In Fall of 2018, Mac Miller, Grandes long-term boyfriend of two-year, unexpectedly passed away. Shattered with heart-break and grief - Ariana thanked her audience of supporters through multiple social media posts, explaining her gratitude for their compassion. The Guardian even showcased fans support after the singer experienced a suicide bomb threat at her concert in Manchester, writing “Instagram comment from selenaxvoice – “WE ARE WITH YOU” – is the gist of it, but social media is boiling. There are messages to Grande (“We love you ari, we are a family and we stay together until the end” ), and fan-to-fan reassurances.”
INDULGE IN PRODUCTS!
Supporting Grande through purchasing concert tickets and gaining the experience of a lifetime by attending one of her passionate performances is of course one way to advocate support, but a line of sweet-smelling perfumes, cosmetics and apparel can visually enhance your galactic support. For Grande's aesthetic, she focuses branding to the eyes. Her winged eyeliner is as iconic as the ponytail, just a little more subtle. As Refinery29 mentions, the R.E.M. line includes eyeliner, a few eyeshadow palettes, two different mascaras, and strip lashes. She's got eye makeup on lock! For fragrances: Sweet like candy, Cloud, and Vanilla Mod are popular scents the singer created to give her fans the opportunity to smell just as good as her music sounds. So, regardless if Arianators want to express their creative side or smell like candy - she has her fanbase covered.
ARE YOU AN ARIANATOR?
Being an Arianator doesn't have to be a far-fetched explanation of why you support the artist or what you like about them - but rather just simply enjoying her music. Though purchasing her merchandise: perfume, CDs, apparel and attending her concerts shows their immense support, it isn't a requirement to consider yourself a fan of Ariana Grande. Popbuzz even exposes the fanbase, explaining, Ariana admitted that she hated the name of the fandom, tweeting: “Thank you to the most loving, incredible fanbase of all time with the ugliest fandom name ever created. Seriously, no thank yous for whoever coined the phrase ‘Arianators’. You get no thank you. Just kidding. Love you all.”
Works Cited
Decker, Megan. (2022.) R.E.M. Enters A “Fun, New Chapter” At Ulta Beauty. Refinery29.
https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2022/04/10946075/ariana-grande-rem-beauty-ulta
Editorarianator. (2023.) Editorarianator. Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CuXmriEt5ms/
Movie Cultists. (n.d.) When did Ariana Grande become famous? Movie Cultists.
https://moviecultists.com/when-ariana-grande-became-famous
PopBuzz. (n.d.) What are Ariana Grande fans called? PopBuzz. https://www.popbuzz.com/music/features/what-is-the-fandom-name-for/ariana-grande/
Sullivan, Caroline. (2017) Arianators assemble: Ariana Grande’s fans weave a web of support. The Guardian.
Stationhead. (n.d.) Arianators. Stationhead.
https://www.stationhead.com/c/arianators
The Indian Face. (2022.) Ariana Grande: You’ll Be Blown Away By This. The Indian Face.
https://theindianface.com/en-us/blogs/news/ariana-grande-you-will-be-blown-with-this
Wiktionary. (2023) Arianator. Wiktionary.
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Arianator
Comments
Post a Comment