Ariana Grande Asian fishing controversy explained as singer deletes Instagram photo amid backlash online

Ariana Grande has left the internet divided as a few of her photos have been circulating online. Many social media users now believe that the pop sensation is “Asian fishing” her followers.

The Positions singer has had an eventful year. Ariana Grande got married and became a judge on the popular singing-reality show The Voice. However, a few photos that went viral on December 5 led the star to delete certain social media posts.

In the posts, she was spotted wearing an oversized jacket while posing for the camera. Unfortunately, netizens took offense to the makeup she wore along with the outfit.

Though the picture was posted on her Instagram profile on December 1, it began getting more traction recently as many accused her of “Asian fishing”.

Internet stands divided over Ariana Grande “Asian fishing” accusations

Similar to blackfishing, Asian fishing is attempting to make oneself look Asian. This often includes fetishizing Asian culture. Those who do so often use makeup to accentuate features to look more East Asian. They also use photo-editing apps to pass off as Asians when they are not.

According to Reddit user u/teddyccino, the Thank U, Next singer has had an “overzealous eyebrow lift in which she’s actually changed the shape of her eyebrows from arched to straight, which is popular in East Asia”. The user also accused Ariana Grande of attempting to showcase a “mono lid look”.

Along with being accused of Asian fishing, Ariana Grande has in the past been called out for blackfishing.

Though many netizens hopped on the cancel culture bandwagon, few ardent followers defended the 28-year-old.

At the time of writing, Ariana Grande had not spoken publicly of the Asian fishing accusations.

About the author

Karishma is a trending writer at SK POP. With a BA in Journalism, Psychology and Literature, Karishma, who has closely followed the latest internet trends from a young age, found her role at SK POP to be the perfect fit for her professional qualifications and personal interests.

She has nearly 3 years of experience in the industry and has interned with The Hindu and Deccan Herald. In her role at Sportskeeda, Karishma covers a range of topics at the pop division, but she believes her skills as a journalist are best reflected while creating impactful and research-intensive stories. For her, no other step in the writing process is as crucial as fact-checking with multiple sources and accurately conveying facts and data.

Karishma holds deep admiration for artists Luke Jerram and Yoshitomo Nara's authenticity and originality, who are her favorite icons. When not ideating her next story, Karishma can be seen deeply engrossed in a book.

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