The actress has been in the spotlight on social media since her show last week and viewers have been commenting on her look thinner.
The conversation comes amid similar online discussions on Ariana Grande her picture has gained attention at large in public. Grande has discussed comments and assumptions about someone's body and health and how they hurt.
Jenna Ortega becomes the focus of online reactions
Clips and images from a recent interview featuring Ortega spread rapidly throughout social media. But rather than just talk about the actress’s career, or the comments, many people started talking about her physical appearance.
Social media users were concerned when they saw that Ortega appeared thinner in some of her previous public appearances. But those in the discussion said you can’t determine someone’s health just by looking at a picture or video.
One phrase that gained attention online was “Why is everybody anorexic?” That comment speaks to the growing concern among some users about what they feel is an increasingly thin aesthetic among female celebrities.
But appearance alone cannot establish whether a person has an eating disorder or any other health condition. Ortega has not publicly confirmed that she has anorexia, and online speculation should not be taken as a medical diagnosis.
Ariana Grande Comparison
The discussion about Ortega has also been connected to the recent attention Ariana Grande has received over her appearance.
Grande has been criticized for years on her weight and body. She has previously said that people don’t know what someone is feeling privately and to assume things about someone’s health based on their looks is damaging.
So the comparison of the two actresses has opened up a much larger discussion about how female celebrities are perceived.
Instead of their work, interviews or professional records to look at in your online discussions, they’ll become a topic of weight, clothing, facial features and body shape.
Is Hollywood Returning To Extremely Thin Beauty Standards
Another major part of the debate concerns changing beauty trends in the entertainment industry.
Some social-media users think Hollywood is once again promoting an extremely thin look similar to beauty trends that dominated the fashion and entertainment industries in previous decades. People say the discussion puts celebrities under a microscope so much that ordinary changes in appearance are turned into public speculation.
Social media has intensified this conversation. Photos and short videos reach millions of people in hours and comments on celebrities’ looks can become viral as soon as they appear.
For young stars like Ortega, this level of attention can create enormous pressure. Each public appearance can be captured, analyzed and compared with older images.
The bigger conversation about body image
The debate over Ortega is a bigger question and it goes beyond one celebrity. Public discussion about body size affects people’s perception of themselves and others and very thin or unrealistic looks are seen as desirable.
But genuine concern for someone's health should not be used as a justification for making claims about their health that are not verified.
There’s no real evidence of Ortega having an eating disorder as of now. And her recent performance has just become a topic of online discourse between fans and critics on Hollywood’s new standards of women.
This conversation of Jenna Ortega and Ariana Grande is, ultimately, about society and celebrity culture more than it is about the actresses themselves. And with social media amplifying each public performance, it’s a touchstone place for concern, curiosity and body-shaming.
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