TOO SOON FOR ‘I DO’?

SAYING IT LIKE WE MEAN IT

Ariana Grande and comedian Pete Davidson are engaged after three weeks of dating. Yup, three weeks. He even got a tattoo of her name. I feel suffocated just reading that. OK, so there are a few things I want to dissect about this piece of pop culture news that has gone viral. Ariana Grande is 24. That’s right, 24. What does one know at 24. I’ll tell you what I knew. Nothing. I knew nothing about anything, least of all anything about my actual self. I was in a daze, like most of us are in our 20s, where I was just, you know, hanging around and being a 20-something. See? I can’t even write an elaborate sentence about my 20s because… they were my 20s! I have a firm belief that a large portion of your 20s are for you and you alone. Look, I’m not saying it’s impossible – but for the modern millennial, marriage in your 20s is not a good idea.

This argument might not make perfect sense in the case of Grande, but wouldn’t you rather be focusing on your career, travel, going out to parties, having fun, spending time with your friends in your 20s instead of dedicating all your time to one specific person? The answer should be yes! Like I said, these points might not directly apply to Grande and the rest of young Hollywood who have seen a lot more of the world than any of us would have by the time they are in their 20s. However, does that mean that they know themselves as much as someone in their 30s would? I highly doubt it.

I know I’m about to take a cynical turn to this conversation but bear with me. It was also announced last week that there is an official hunt to cast actors for the live action remake of The

Little Mermaid. Two actresses who are rumored to be auditioning are Zendaya and Ariana – I think either would be great for the role but specifically Ariana who has the vocal prowess to play the singing mermaid and there is something incredibly animated and Disney like about her face that I think would lend itself perfectly to the role.

But with Ariana’s personal life, and specially her married splashed all over the Internet, I cant help but think how it could hinder her chances to get that role. I don’t think a woman or man should or shouldn’t get a role because of their marital status or because of what the media is writing about them, but hey that’s how Hollywood works. When you have two talented actors (male or female) up for the same iconic role, the difference between choosing one over the other might be as simple as whether or not their personal life and the perception of that social life might affect their role. I’m obviously not against marriage or in your 20s, but I do think that it takes a very specific person to make that work and based on Hollywood’s colourful history of divorces I don’t think that Grande and Davidson are quite ready for it.

MAAN JALAL

Pop culture enthusiast, Willy Wonka Golden Ticket hunter and Hogwarts Graduate Class of 2001