In this week’s edition of “Disses We Didn’t See Coming,” Bette Midler called Ariana Grade out for making “a wh**e” out of herself to “get ahead.”
Speaking to the U.K.’s Telegraph on Monday, the Divine Miss M bemoaned the current state of pop music…
It’s terrible! It’s always surprising to see someone like Ariana Grande with that silly high voice, a very wholesome voice, slithering around on a couch looking so ridiculous. I mean, it’s silly beyond belief and I don’t know who’s telling her to do it. I wish they’d stop. But it’s not my business, I’m not her mother. Or her manager. Maybe they tell them that’s what you’ve got to do. Sex sells. Sex has always sold… I don’t know how you sustain it. Trust your talent. You don’t have to make a wh**e out of yourself to get ahead. You really don’t.
Even if most of us can agree that some pop acts are pretty raunchy these days — cough, Miley, cough — Bette damaged her own point by throwing the w-word in there. And people definitely called her out on it. Ariana, however, had a pretty classy response.
“Bette was always a feminist who stood for women being able to do whatever the F they wanted without judgement!!! Not sure where that Bette went but I want that sexy mermaid back,” she said on Twitter, where she also attached a picture of Bette in costume. “Always a fan no matter what my love, and I will still quote first wives club every single day of my life lmao.”
Bette then apologized for the indiscretion, effectively putting an end to the could-be feud and taking that potential debate topic off the Thanksgiving table: “About my screed on @ArianaGrande, all I can say is, ‘Spoken like a reformed old wh**e! She does have a beautiful voice, on a couch or off.'”
