Ariana Grande Reportedly ‘Shocked’ By Bette Midler’s Comments

Singer Ariana Grande is reportedly not taking what Bette Midler said about her very well at all.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Bette commented on the quality (or lack thereof) of her on-stage performance.

“It’s always surprising to see someone like Ariana Grande with that silly high voice, a very wholesome voice, slithering on a couch. You don’t have to make a whore out of yourself to get ahead.”

TMZ reported on Tuesday that the 21-year-old singer is actually “shocked” that Bette Midler would go that far with those comments for two reasons.

First, according to TMZ, Ariana Grande is a big Bette Midler fan. Second, it can be said that Bette Midler did the same thing at the peak of her own career.

It might be a little difficult to picture the 68-year-old singer/actress doing or wearing anything close to what Ariana Grande did and wore to the 2014 American Music Awards on Sunday night.

However, looking at 32-year-old Bette Midler on the cover of her 1977 live album, Live at Last, might cause the average skeptic to look at things differently.

It can also be said that Bette Midler was known for raunchiness and being “overtly sexual” when it came to her own performances back in the ’70s, according to TMZ.

However, in a recent interview, Bette Midler spoke openly about the new phase of her lengthy career in which she feels liberated and free from the need to prove herself.

“It’s the most liberating place. I do what I do because I love it. If people like it, wonderful. If they don’t, it’s not going to destroy me. I have a life outside of this.”

When it comes to Ariana Grande, though, she has always had the desire to do more and take on the world — especially since she has had her sights on the big time since she was a young girl.

According to Marie Claire, the former Nickelodeon actress has been yearning to make it big in the music business for years. However, the songs that she wanted to sing may have been a lot more mature than many people may have thought were appropriate for her at that age — including her mom.

“I was 14 years old and ready to make an R&B album… I wrote this song called ‘Higher,’ and the lyrics were too sexual, too mature. And my mom was like, ‘This is a great song, but damn, you’re too young for this.'”

What do you think? Does Bette Midler have a point or is Ariana Grande entitled to feel offended by Bette’s comments?

[Image Credit: Huffington Post & Inkbird]