CB has said, and I agree, that Ariel Winter is kind of a mixed bag. I support what she says about being able to present her body however she wants, but at the same time, she also uses that stance for attention. And, although possibly annoying, I don’t have a problem with her attention seeking. However, I am not her mother and Ariel’s actual mother, Chrystal Workman, does have an issue with it, supposedly. Ariel does not have a relationship with Chrystal. She was removed from her mother’s home at the age of 14 due to allegations of abuse committed by Chrystal. Ariel was put in the care of her sister Shanelle Gray and eventually was emancipated when she was 17. During that time, she remained on her highly successful sitcom, Modern Family, graduated from high school and was accepted to UCLA. Ariel has also reconnected with her father, Glenn Workman, who is divorced from Chrystal. Although nothing has changed between Arial and Chrystal, Chrystal felt compelled to weigh in on Ariel’s photos and sexy outfits.
As Ariel Winter continues to defy body shamers, her estranged mother, Chrystal Workman, tells In Touch exclusively that she thinks her daughter doesn’t need to expose herself because she is a legitimate actress.
Ariel had accused her mother of abusing her physically and emotionally and attempting to “sexualize” her at a young age.
“I would not do that,” Chrystal, who’s still estranged from Ariel, reveals.
Chrystal, like many of her daughter’s critics, also questions Ariel’s desire to show a lot of skin.
“She needs to grow up. I would tell her to dress properly, be the beautiful person she is. I feel sad that she feels the need to expose herself when it’s not necessary,” she explains. “Ariel is smart, beautiful and talented. She is a legitimate actress. She does not need to do this. She is beautiful with her clothes on.”
So, yeah – this is rife with issues. One of the reasons Ariel was removed from Chrystal’s home was the suspicion that Chrystal was sexualizing her at a young age so talk to the hand, Chrystal, about your opinions on Ariel’s sexy image. Plus, as Ariel purports, her being “smart, beautiful and talented” and “a legitimate actress” has nothing to do with what she wears. I have said it time and again, I don’t care how revealing Ariel’s outfits are, I simply think she has terrible fashion sense. Chrystal needs to have a seat. She lost her right to dish out motherly advice when her daughter was removed from her home. It’s rich for Chrystal of all people to suggest Ariel needs to grow up considering she’s the one who stole her childhood from her in the first place. The only motherly counsel Ariel needs is from Shanelle, who kept her safe after likely suffering the same abuse as Ariel.
Ariel, however, might want to check herself when it comes to little tirades like this:
Which had the caption (edited for language):
Y’all I NEVER post pap pics but I just got sent this and I’m posting it because Levi’s SOOO pissed and his face is SOOOO good 😂😂😂😂 it’s f–king Ralphs! What headline are you getting with this????? Over and over! “Ariel in SLUTTY SHORTS & live in lover Levi” like ok can we just live and not be followed? Take pics on red carpets where we sign up for that not when we’re just trying to grocery shop for f–ks sake
Most of the pictures Ariel posts to her social media are for attention. She goes on pap strolls, like when she introduced Levi as her new boyfriend back in November (and honestly, his photo-face game is still the same). You cannot convince me that this photo – at Coachella – was anything other than attention seeking. I don’t want to come down too hard on Ariel because she has enough to deal with when it comes to her mother. It’s her business if she wants to make out with her boyfriend in public. What I would rather she didn’t do is turn around and yell at the paparazzi for over exposure because she doesn’t like the shot. She has a good argument about body shaming, she shouldn’t detract from it with these outbursts.
And I really wish she would end her deferment and enroll at UCLA. Okay, so maybe I think she should seek motherly counsel from Shanelle and me.
Photo credit: Instagram, Getty Images and WENN Photos
Over the top attention seeking.
She seems like she used to be perceived as nerdy because of her role on MF, and is so insecure she desperately wants to be seen as sexy, like Kardashian/Jenners. Sad.
Holy toxic mom, Batman!
+1000
Agreed. I wish that no one would report her words, so she wouldn’t have a platform.
I was just coming to say, why are we giving this woman a platform? She needs to go away.
Uhoh, so she deferred her enrollment at UCLA? Bad sign. Is she in therapy? She’s going to be Bella Thorne if she doesn’t get it together soon, sorry.
She deferred a while ago – I think she would have been in school last September if I’m not mistaken. The reason was her shooting schedule, but I really don’t expect her to go.
Honestly this girl WANTS to be a Kylie Jenner. She is SO thirsty. And while I’m down for women dressing the way they want – if I had legs like hers I’d wear freaking tiny shorts too – but at the same time I feel like seeing THAT much boob is even a bit much for a festival. I just don’t know. I’m not someone who’s fully confident with their body – so I mean it’s great that she is – and at the end of the day it’s not really affecting me. But holy boobs, batman. I know if I had a daughter that age I’d feel REALLY uncomfortable with that much boob being on display – it’d just be strange. But if that’s what my ADULT daughter wanted to do – I’d damn well tear down anyone who hassled her for it.
Yeah, the clothes don’t really bother me – she can do what she wants with her body. But what makes me uncomfortable is what you pinpointed: the very clear Single White Female-ing of Kylie Jenner.
I hate when people are blatantly attempting to be someone else. Although to be fair Kylie does that too, so I guess we just have a train of copycats going.
So… Both of them are trying to channel Black Chyna?
I hope Ariel grows out of this rebellious phase.
Right….but the thing here is, she’s a teenager, not an adult in my book, and when you’re that young you don’t always understand the type of attention you’re going to receive for dressing like that. And most problematically, she’s an abused child who has accused her Mom of sexualizing her as a child. I think she’s another Kylie, acting out in a way they don’t fully understand themselves, for reasons they haven’t worked their way through yet. If this were the choice of a strong adult womam I would support it, but sadly that’s not what I see here.
But if a 19 year old was all about dressing modestly (whether it was the kind of feminine modesty associated with different religions, or just the more everyday classy/casual western version of ‘modesty’), dressing androgynously, or even ‘dressing as the opposite sex’, would you say the same exact thing? That only women who are perceived as ‘strong adult women’ and over the age of 19 should be supported in their choice to dress any of those ways?
I don’t think you mean anything nasty about it and hope this doesn’t come across like an attack, but there’s a long, problematic history of women’s decisions to not perform feminine sexual modesty on the level others think she should being dismissed as either a sad SYMPTOM of sexual trauma (classic way to undermine women’s agency on issues like this) or as proof of a lack of self-respect (another one I expect to see pop up here today)- whether it’s because the woman is not saving sex for a committed relationship, wearing revealing clothes like Ariel Winter’s, posing nude, or whatever else. There seems to be a little bit of ageism to it because the sexual trauma/no self-respect arguments have been used every time a famous woman under 25 has said no to ‘being a lady’ in some way, but I’ve seen it done with women in their 30’s and older at times too. Basically, there’s this patriarchal idea that women have to agree and live by the idea that their value lies in ‘not being slutty’ in order to have self-respect and be considered healthy in their decision-making.
Otaku – not sure if this was directed at me specifically, but here goes:
I’m well aware of the struggle women have as far as sexism goes, the madonna/whore issues, and the ridiculous expectations they are expected to live up to. I mean – I’m a woman. I’m 27. It’s not like I’ve had a charmed, smooth sailing life. I’ve experienced a ton of sexism of varying levels while working in a male dominated field.
Ariel – I would consider an adult now. I would still feel weird if I was her parent seeing her out in public with the shirt she wore to Coachella, but it’s her choice. I said in my original comment that it’s her choice, and she has legs that I’m envious of. Would I support someone who wanted to dress very modestly, in androgynous clothing, or clothing usually deemed for the opposite sex? Heck yes. Now would I expect them to dress appropriately for the situation/event they’re in? Yup. If you have a trans teen who is going to a fancy event – wear whichever clothing style you want – but make it at least somewhat formal. If they’re choosing to dress incredibly modestly and we’re going to a beach? At least find some sort of fabric that’s breathable so they don’t get sunstroke.
There is a slight difference between those options and what Ariel is wearing though. If she was a 15/16 year old and was wearing that top? Hell no. If you’re wearing that shirt, you better at least have a bandeau on under it – you don’t need to have your breasts hanging out underneath the shirt when you’re underage. Wear your tight clothes if that’s your thing, wear a crop top, wear short shorts. But at least cover your ‘bits’ when you’re out in public. There’s a difference between being what society might call slutty and being borderline walking talking child p—.
For me personally – if my kid was happy, healthy, and dressed for the occasion – I don’t really give a crap about what they’re wearing. If they’re wearing it because that’s what THEY want and they’re got their ‘bits’ covered – power to them. Once they’re 18 – well, technically they can do whatever and wear as little as they want – but as long as you’re classified as a child – I wouldn’t feel comfortable with them wearing something like she wore to coachella without some at least minor modifications.
Seriously, you look at a teenage girl who is also a survivor of child abuse who’s dressing like that and all you can see is “attention seeker”?
In that Coachella pic she looks like she’s trying to be Kylie.
@Erin: That was for WeAreAllMadeofStars. As far as limits for what your underage kids do with physical appearance go, I don’t have kids, but that’s one of the parts of parenting and feminism that I really don’t look forward to. On the one hand there’s cultural pressure on parents to be super strict about what their daughters wear just to be seen as ‘good parents’ by society (an issue that a couple of feminist parents have said really bothers them), and of course there’s concern about young girls thinking they need to be ‘the beauty standard’ and super sexy for someone at all times. But then there’s the other part of not wanting daughters OR sons growing up in a culture where sexism, ‘boys will be boys’, and sexual bullying are normalized based on the way these issues are talked about. I agree parents have the right to make rules about clothing for their underage kids, but that there’s a need to be careful about the way it’s done because it effects how these kids grow up to view and treat others.
@Erinn (‘s first comment): Huh. Well, I think the fact that she deferred her admission is GREAT news. She has plenty of time to be young and attend college; Modern Family has a shelf date.
Also I personally feel that, having had to forge through her most formative years without parental guidance, leadership, and emotional validation, she NEEDS the support and structure of that TV show. She is working now to put herself through college later. She will have other financial needs later, too, so it’s good that she work and save up now. In a few years she can go to college and really concentrate and commit to that instead. If she REALLY pinches pennies, she can buy a condo right next to campus. (Bear in mind, this kid also has to do taxes, health insurance… all this stuff that most 19-year olds’ parents do FOR them. Why add college on top of that, plus a full-time job? Take it two things at a time, don’t overwhelm yourself: THAT’S how you graduate with academic honors.)
It is really, really f-cking hard to have absentee parents, or to straight-up lose both parents at a young age (hi! I’m referring to myself here!) — like, there is literally nothing more terrifying. It’s also very demanding of a young person. But it’s so incredibly scary to have to stare into the abyss alone. Most young people would completely melt down. This young woman — this teenager — has demonstrated amazing resilience and independence, and she has repeatedly made tough life decisions that pertain to her own well-being. I would not have personally made all the same choices, but I also haven’t HAD to. She seems like a pretty tough cookie to me.
P.S. There is no adult in her life telling her how to dress, and I do think she flaunts that fact to her fellow teens — “living my best life!!” — but I don’t think that’s particularly symptomatic of other issues. Having lived at times in somewhat-similar shoes as this teen, I’d say she seems pretty happy and healthy and normal to me. Keep it up, kiddo.
WWhat bothers me is she dresses like she is a 50 year old ex chorus girl. Very much not her age. very embarrassingly not her age. A lot like poor Courtney Stodden.
I don’t know about how Ariel’s mother is responsible for this situation, but Ariel obvisouly doesn’t need her mother to sexualize herself and dress inappropriately.
Once Modern Family ends, I see a stripper pole in this girl’s future.
I prefer to blame the social systems (both The ways men and women learn to think of what ‘sexy’ is, and then also it is harmful when parents (it sounds like her mom especially is guilty here) both promote beauty and cuteness and using that to advance while also punishing their daughter for having a body and for trying to find a style in which she likes to dress herself.
Kendall Jenner, Gigi and bella Hadid, etc dress like Ariel, but it is also always gonna look more sexualized on ariel’s body than theirs, so that is also why I think it is unfair to judge her harshly.
Someone like ariel can’t win, kwim?
Beauty and cuteness =/= showing off
She needs time to find herself, but at this rythm she’s the next Bella Thorne.
Sure she can. With a body like that, she’s winning already. It’s a fact of life that the more you have, the less you have to try to show off what you’ve got. She doesn’t have to dress as skimpily as a lean twiggy girl to achieve the same effect. Damn, does nobody get taught this stuff anymore?
Part of the reason she was taken from her mother was because she was being starved and verbally abused for not being thin and pretty enough.
Embracing her body and sexuality and the attention it brings is a completely healthy and normal reaction to that. She was told her body was wrong, and now she’s enjoying flaunting it. It’s a giant FU to her mother and anyone else who has a problem with her looks. Eventually the thrill of that will wear off, but right now it would feel incredibly empowering.
Sorry but the way you describe it, it doesn’t look healthy at all.
Definitely not healthy at all. That girl has got some issues and should be in therapy
She is young and has the money to enjoy all the sexy, weird or ‘trashy’ clothes she wants, if that is what she likes. I see no problem in her seeking attention and validation that way because teenagers NEED those things. It might not be the healthiest option there is but she clearly doesn’t get validation from the people who supposed to love, protect and mirror her, so she wears her tiny outfits like a bandaid until she is ready to deal with the pain of abuse.
Teenagers need the publics validation? The ones with dysfunctional homes sure but this isnt a universal teen trait. And those with dysfunctional families that havent taught them self love and validation really need to be in therapy. This girl needs help before some guy latches onto her insecurities and bleeds her dry before finding new ways to exploit her (see the many actresses in Hollywood history who ended up in sexually exploitative photos or films just to make an extra buck for a boyfriend or a drug habit). Sadly this 29 year old who is dating her at 19 may already have gotten to her.
She’s someone in a line of work where much of her career depends on being noticed, so I don’t see it as automatically unhealthy or abnormal for her to actually seek attention. All celebrities engage in attention-seeking at some point.
For Ariel I think her motives are two-fold. I agree with Jeesie and see that Body positivity (for both herself and other women. She went off on someone for body-shaming Ariana Grande in order to compliment her curvier body), slut-shaming, victim-blaming, homophobia, and other issues seem to be subjects she gets fired up about. She doesn’t accept the message that not being the Hollywood ideal means putting it away. Her overall message that women should do what they want when it comes to ‘modesty’ and not quietly accept the misogynistic and victim-blaming responses as something that’s just ‘deserved’ or ‘the natural order of things’ is an area where she really practices what she preaches. I’d call that healthy and good, since women and people in general have been so conditioned to accept those ideas that she rejects as ‘normal’ and ‘the way things are.’ She’s also thirsty and has learned by now that rebelling against what’s considered classy conservative womanhood can be a part of how she brands herself because it’s controversial. I’m okay with that part of what she’s doing too.
It seems to me that this is a healthier place than where she was, and hopefully a less healthy place than she will be.
Her clothing choices should not be used as a metric to determine her mental health, thats just silly.
@ Ramona:
“Teenagers need the publics validation? The ones with dysfunctional homes sure but this isnt a universal teen trait.”
I did not say, that all teenagers need public validation. However, Ariel transforms public attention to fill in for her lack of parental validation. As an survivor of child abuse she could do way worse than that. And as far as therapy goes — one has to be ready! Working trough trauma is not a fun activity, it is very hard and very painful.
“This girl needs help before some guy latches onto her insecurities and bleeds her dry before finding new ways to exploit her.”
Agreed. She needs help. But she needs to WANT HELP first.
Also: Sadly, as a survivor of abuse she is more vulnerable to being taken advantage off regardless of her clothes — especially since exploitation is not always sexual in nature. Meaning, her clothes are not the problem, the abuse that was done to her is.
Your explanation makes perfect sense. BINGO
ITA I’m not a fan of her dress sense but it has nothing to do with the level of skin being shown/how tight her clothes are. When I was her age I showed just as much just in a different style. I grew up with the benefit of amazing parents who were the opposite of the horrible parent she had but I still pushed the limits of what constitutes a wardrobe in my teens/early twenties because why the hell not, pushing limits is what being that age is for. She’s not hurting anyone.
If I’d spent my formative years being told I was fat and ugly and needed to harm myself to “fix” it then I’d probably have spent my time completely naked once I got free.
Yeah, I think some of this is a reaction to her mom.
Dressing appropriately? I wouldn’t have used that phrase. Perhaps dress better? She can still flaunt it, but her clothing choices and style are terrible.
Oh gosh, yes! Some of the stuff I wore as a teen….. I wore a buttoned chambray shirt over tube tops to school and would unbutton once out of my parents’ sight. I was such a weird combination of shy/attention seeking; I don’t even know how to describe it. But, today is my 60th birthday and at this moment I am glad I did some showing off when I could-haha!
And she’s young FFS. This is the time where we experiment with clothes without supervision for the first time. There is stuff I wore in college that I would never wear now, five years later. But I was young and having fun.
Let her live basically.
But I do agree with therapy but because her mother was abusive not because of her clothes
Agree, her clothing choices are pretty much a non issue, they’re just a symptom of the real problem, which is the trauma she suffered at the hands of her birth mother.
Of course she could benefit from better styling but where she could truly benefit is through addressing her issues in some sort of therapy, on her time, whenever she’s ready to do so.
For now, she’s living her life and learning from it, nothing wrong with that.
I agree.
She’s acting out all those rebellious urges now, because she was super controlled before.
She’ll grow out of the attention seeking and sexual validation phase, but this is the rebellion that signifies growing independence. She just needs some direction and advice, so she doesn’t stall here. Normally not an issue, but Hollywood doesn’t exactly seem great for your emotional growth.
And the clothing is fine. Dress how you want, although I’ve never seen anyone else mean Ices CoCo for style inspo.
Let’s hope she grows out of the attentions seeking and sexual validation phase. We all know there are many out there, and not just the Kardashians that are still in that phase.
I don’t think this sort of dress and message are things women need to out-grow at 45, 55, 65, 75, or any other age though. Not only because of the ‘do what you want’ part, but because the misogynistic things that are being rebelled against- the victim-blaming, the body-shaming, the slut-shaming, and even some of the ageism at both ends- don’t seem to be things that stop being relevant at a certain age.
To be clear, I’m not talking about her mode of dress, because I am a vociferous supporter of a womans right to wear what she wants, at whatever age she wants, and I very, very much dislike when style is equated to a moral value.
I’m talking about the attitude she has.
They are two separate things.
What she needs to grow out of is the validation needing, its a natural and expected part of her journey after being in the situation she was. That doesn’t mean the journey needs to end there. Finding your validation externally, as she is trying to do, and again this is not based on her style but her words and attitude, is not a healthy end outcome.
She doesn’t need to change the way she dresses ever. She can dress like this for as long as she pleases. Who am I to say that she looks bad? If she feels good that’s all that matters. Ariel looks happy and healthy.
Her mom needs to just stop. She’s was the one with the bright idea to put a child into acting. I still find it so wrong making children have a job.
She’s all over the place! Which makes me think 2 things: she’s YOUNG, let’s give her frontal lobe some time here AND it’s clear she came from a very messed up situation (as Jessie explains perfectly ^^). On top of all that she has to deal with celebrity. It’s too much.
That Modern Family group picture makes me laugh….she looks photoshopped in… Beautiful girl, terrible taste in fashion.
Everyone else in the photo is dressed so casually. She looks like she’s at the wrong event. Or thirsty as hell.
Exactly! She looks so ridiculously over the top when everyone else is casual. It’s what makes her look like she’s attention seeking even if she’s not really trying to be that way.
One of the good things is, the Modern Family cast seem to be very close and rally around when needed. Didn’t they help Sarah Hyland get out of an abusive relationship?
So at least she has some good people around her at work
I was thinking about this too. Isn’t Julie Bowen supposedly a super-positive influence? Like, she can’t tell this teen how to DRESS irl (or take her phone away) but, if this kid is getting support in other ways, all that other stuff seems kind of trivial.
To be honest I do not worry for Ms Winter — she seems like a normal teen, doing normal teen things, wearing the exact clothes any teen without 24/7 supervision might be liable to wear. Her personal family situation sucks, but it’s great that she’s able to work and support herself independently, and her TV family genuinely seems nice. Seems like she’s doing pretty good!
That gold dress… juxtaposed against a well dressed for family dinner group… oh my. ..
She has freedom, but is likely lacking a lot. The attention seeking is void filling. So says my armchair psych degree.
It’s cringe worthy.
Agreed…my therapist would too, lol. Looking for the male gaze to validate your attractiveness and appeal rarely works.
Just because she dresses immodestly doesn’t mean she’s necessarily doing it to have the male gaze validate her attractiveness though. There are plenty of women who will make it a point to not dress modestly for reasons that have nothing to do with a need for male approval. Some are just wearing what they like and don’t particularly value the little whole ‘for your husband’s/man’s eyes’ doctrine, and others openly resent the message that a woman’s ‘value’ ‘self-respect’, ‘safety’ and ‘health’ lie proving how modest or ‘non-slutty they are. The famous ones who feel that way have an easy way to use that as part of their brand. There are also women who buy into the male gaze by making a point to avoid anything ‘slutty’ because they’ve internalized the idea that that’s what gives them more moral, respectable, valuable, otherwise better than, or ‘safer’ than women who don’t.
So OFairy..just as a respectable discussion (I’m not trying to start anything as I am generally torn about this, raising two daughters).
I have had a LOT of awesome sexual experiences, so I am NOT one to care/judge someone about who or how many people they sleep with; it’s the tiny shorts crammed up arses and up the crotch (that they’re picking out every two seconds) no bra, thong bikinis, and posing for the paps that I’m of two minds about (and I want to understand your point of view).
Who do YOU think she is doing that for and why? Herself? Like I’ve rarely seen a girl wear so little clothing and look confident and comfortable; I was so aware of the stares when I wore stuff like that-I was courting the attention and stares. I know when I wear a low cut top that I will get noticed.
ETA-I would and have said the same thing about dude dressing in a way that, to me, courts attention. I mentioned this last month when some guy was jogging by without his shirt on and it was about 5 degrees out. 🙄
I think part of it is for herself- her own personal tastes and political beliefs plus the fact that she’s in ‘rite of passage’ mode at 19- and that part of it is for the publicity that people on both sides will all too eagerly give any woman (even if our intent for discussing her choices isn’t ‘I want to further this person’s career) who presents herself in any way that’s controversial and out there. At 19 and already pretty aware when it comes to feminist issues, Ariel has probably already noticed this play out with a lot of women.
Urgh, totally get what you’re saying about that age! You discover your “power” as a sexual woman and everything that goes with it.
She’s so out of place and appears completely ignorant as to the proper dress code of that event. Her cast mates were very likely uncomfortable and did everything in their power not to criticize that dress or stare at her chest. There is a time and place for that kind of outfit. If she wants to wear that to a night club, fine. But this was a family friendly event and wearing that is no different from wearing a sign that says LOOK AT ME. She is desperate for attention.
Totally agree! This would be fine at a club or MTV awards, but so out of place here…
Her mother needs to sit down! Sometimes when a person is sexuallized at a young age their self worth comes from attracting attention. My mother basically sold me at a very young age to friends or aquatainaces. So at around 13 I starting acting out dressing overtly sexuallized and seeking out the wrong attention. To me it was love that I wasn’t getting from my mother. I distanced myself from my mother and family, and grew up. Ariel’s mother used her daughters for financial gain and I wouldn’t put it past her putting her daughters in situations just for the money or promise of fame. The mother if she really cared wouldn’t be talking to the media but seeking counseling and trying to make amends with her daughters. Although there may be nothing she could do to fix it at this point and she just needs to shut it.
Yup! That is what I was trying to say above. Society says we want women to focus on their looks and we do because because beauty is a privilege that helps you get power, jobs, esp in Hollywood, but then when women dress or act in a way we don’t like and it is happening because of abusive and neglectful parenting, we immedately ding them for it. The reality is it is way harder to get that toxic crap out of your head and understand what is you versus what is rebellion.
I’m really sorry you had to go through all that.
I’m sorry too, that you had to go through that. Some people don’t deserve to have kids. Hope you are in a good place now
Ariel comes across as very insecure and looking for validation, just a lost little girl in Hollywood. I feel sorry for her, she obviously had a bad childhood.
Bingo. And I actually think there’s an important distinction between “attention-seeking” and “looking for validation.” This teen didn’t receive that necessary validation from her parents. (Which, seriously, screw them.)
I feel bad for her just because she’s had to grow up too quick, but I also think she behaves and dresses the way any perfectly-nice teenager would if she were totally without adult supervision: “You’re not leaving the house dressed like THAT, young lady!” (Or whatever Cher’s dad says to her in Clueless. “Calvin Klein!”) I don’t think we need to worry about her just yet; she’s doing good.
You’re only young and beautiful for a brief period of time – she seems like she’s making the most of it and enjoying herself. Frankly, I find is much sadder when you’re still trying to get attention in your short-shorts when you’re in your 50s. I do hope she’ll pursue her education.
Yes…you’re only “young” once, but beauty is timeless; at what age do we stop being beautiful? 30s? 50s? 80s?
That sounds like some ageism right there.
Wrongo. Never said you can’t be beautiful when you’re no longer young. Sounds like too much coffee to me.
My bad…I must have I misunderstood you when you said, “You’re only young and BEAUTIFUL for a brief period of time” 🤔
Gee, I’m only 9 years away from the big 5-0, I guess I better wear out all my short-shorts while I can before the midnight deadline of my 50th birthday 🤔
Right?!
I dressed skimpy when I was her age too. She’s an actress, I think she had her own house, got accepted to UCLA, I say let her be. Lots of young girls wear very little clothing, not usually flattering. But she’s in a relationship, working, doesn’t seem like she’s doing drugs. I think how she dresses is a minor thing and her mom has got some nerve trying to be a parent now. More like she got money for doing an interview
I give a major side-eye to the boyfriends though. The old one was at least 18 and with her when she was 14. 4 years isn’t a huge difference, but let’s not pretend a 14 year old is super worldly and mature. This one is 29 and she’s 19, and he’s living in her home. Which – hey, could be healthy. Or she could be supporting his ass.
And I mean – great. She got accepted to University. Which is leaps and bounds easier than actually completing a university degree. I honestly don’t expect her to go to school. She doesn’t ‘have’ to in the way that most kids her age have to. She’s got a ton of money, and she seems to really need attention (which is sad, given her upbringing) and I’m not sure being a student is going to feed that need for her.
Agree about uni. She should only attend if she’s really driven to study something. Otherwise, like many other students, she’d be going just to fill in time or to please parents. Better off deferring until, or if, she wants to attend and give it the time and effort it deserves. Mayam Bialik navigated her way through uni to PhD and appears very level-headed. Emma Watson, Jodie Foster completed degrees, taking time out to focus on study. No-one can take away one’s education; it’s worth the investment. Acting was still there for the child actresses mentioned, but was not the only thing that defined them.
I hope Ariel has some sensible, caring adults looking out for her, especially those who understand the acting/Hollywood world, plus a decent advisor who has safely invested her money. I too side-eye the boyfriend and hope she has her protected her material assets.
As for her outfits, I agree the pic with the MF cast is just out of kilter with the occasion. I imagine it’s a combo of being newly adult and able to flaunt her sexuality, her very real problems with family abuse, the whole Hollywood bubble, and youth. I don’t think they flatter her, but it’s her choice. I’d agree that she just doesn’t have good taste in fashion. Investing in a damn good stylist for professional events would be a good move on her part.
That’s how I see it! I dressed similarly when I was her age and I thank god I wasnt in front of cameras because Id be mortified right now. I’ll worry about Ariel when she starts drug fueled rampages, takes up shoddy acting jobs, and marries a 65 year old creep. So far she’s nothing of the sort.
Ariel is obviously displaying attention seeking behaviour. That being said, good on her for distancing herself from her toxic mother.
Ps: I love the fact that she pretends paparazzis hang out at Ralph’s parking. As if she didn’t called them!
Mama needs to have serial seats she had the chance to be a mother to her child and she blew it.
Ariel is grown and can dress how she wants. The only problem with it is it isn’t cute I mean if you’re going to dress like that at least be stylish with it. Other than that girlie seems to got to work on time and do her job. Haven’t heard about any other mess involving her other than her situation with her mom so she’s good so far.
I don’t get how those outfits are even comfortable 😬
When I was her age, I dressed similar to her and I was super comfortable. However, I had small boobs so they weren’t hard to keep under control. lol! If I had a large chest like Ariel I probably wouldn’t have been so comfortable in skimpy clothes. I’m now 36 and I could never dress that skimpy again. I just wouldn’t be comfortable. For me, it’s definitely an age issue.
I’m wondering if she’s getting more flack because her breasts are larger size. If she were an A cup or smaller, maybe fewer people would care?
And does she really have to be fashionable? I know that sounds like heresy… But she’s an actor, not a model. In a role, someone else will dress her. In real life, she gets to choose. She looks happy and comfortable even when her choices seem a tad weird. Full disclosure: I’ve never been deliberately fashionable in my entire life. I’m dressed by eBay. Priorities for me in clothing are comfort and pockets and no pink (overdosed on it as a young child).
As far her mom is concerned — what mother talks to InTouch about her daughter’s clothing choices like that?
I wouldn’t say her behavior is that unusual for her age. Unfortunately for her it is all there forever on Instagram and social media. Thank goodness those didn’t exist when we were growing up.
Her body, her choice and that horrible mother needs to go away and seek therapy.
she’s a pretty girl & if she’s comfortable with herself than more power to her, but the poor girl badly needs a new stylist (assuming she has one which is unclear to me as I scroll thru photos of her) to dress her in more flattering looks.
It’s her body and she is young. I get that not all women go through this phase, but she seems to be the kind of girl that feels LIBERATED after years of being told negative things about herself, and is experimenting with who she is.
She definitely seeks attention with her terrible fashion choices, but with a non-present mother, can you blame her?? At least she’s not making too many questionable decisions in her youth…except for her creepy boyfriend. Perhaps if you were there, “mother”, without abusing your kid, she would have a little more self-esteem and respect. Don’t blame her, take responsibility for your own fuck ups. She’s young as Hell and is entitled to make mistakes, like I’m sure you did.
Immodesty doesn’t equal a lack of self-respect though, and the opposite is also true. Just because a woman is all about proving her ‘respectability’ through a dress code doesn’t mean that that comes from a place of respect. There are plenty of us who had great parents and who just don’t care for those kinds of old-fashioned ‘boys will be boys’ type of restrictions being imposed on us. Her mother definitely is crappy though, no question about that.
Why are we giving an abusive parent a whole headline & post in which to perpetuate her abuse on a public scale?
I’m so sorry, Ariel.
Yeah, it’s f’n disgusting alright, and so is her mother.
For me it’s not about how much skin she’s showing, but the fact that it’s obviously out of extreme thirst for attention and that the majority of the clothes she chooses are tacky and unflattering. I think Ariel’s a very pretty girl and she has a cute figure, but the dress she wore to the up-fronts was ridiculous. If she was going to the Billboard Awards, or something similar, she would have looked like most of the people on the red carpet. There is such a thing as dressing appropriately for the occasion and she hasn’t seemed to grasp that concept. It makes her look like she’s trolling herself. She’s clearly looking for attention, but that doesn’t mean that she gets to demand that the attention is positive.
This girl really needs guidance and direction, something her mother obviously and unfortunately did not provide to her. If she had a loving mother in her life to keep her grounded and focused on other things besides seeking constant attention, she might have more sense not to dress like this. She has a great body but her style is very cheap and distasteful. She’ll either grow out of this phase by her mid to late 20s or she’ll end up posing nude and becoming another Kardashian type whose career is to take off her clothes and post nude selfies on social media. Hopefully Ariel gets her life together and heads to UCLA at least by the time Modern Family ends its run.
Yeah, nothing says caring like giving an interview about the daughter that got taken away from you.
Personally, I think what she wears mostly
looks cheap, unflattering and generally trashy … and I absolutely defend her right to do so, fully acknowledging that taste is in the eye of the beholder.
Clothes I consider tacky, are the very least of her problems, though the attention seeking is definitely a symptom of larger issues. Given her history, I’m not the least bit surprised, but I expect she’s got a real rough road ahead when Modern Family, and it’s financially protective caccoon, inevitably ends, and that, that’s gonna happen sooner, rather than later. My prediction: She’ll be Tina Yothers (kids, ask your parents) in 5 years.
On one hand there’s an instinct to save her from what I think so many can see coming; On the other, the likelihood that any intervention will actually work before the crash and burn occurs is vanishingly small.
Hoping I’m wrong, but as someone who deals professionally with “troubled youth,” in a much smaller spotlight than Winter, but fear I’m not.
Best hope is eschewing showbiz (which I don’t see as successful long term for her anyway; e.g. How MF has so sidelined her character & her utter lack of hiatus gigs beyond club appearances) & its hangers on, getting some much needed therapy and making use of that UCLA acceptance.
More likely though, I fear, is being used by various boyfriends till bled dry, chasing of ever-less-prosperous reality TV and Instagram “fame” and an eventual flame-out … from which she may then be able to recover. Basically: Tori Spelling without the fallback of billionaire parents.
Again, we’ll see … not wishing for any of that. Just a too easy, predictable path I’d be more than happy to have her prove me wrong about.
Oh, just said basically the same thing without the insight you bring regarding troubled youths. Yes, I agree, she seems troubled and not, unfortunately, a confident woman.
Her best bet is to go to UCLA after Modern Family ends, get her degree and take a break from Hollywood, then come back later in life for a comeback. It’s happened for several smart child tv stars such as Mayim Bialik, Danica McKellar, and several other 80s and 90s child stars who created a decent life for themselves after their stardom died and have started to make reboots of our favorite 90s shows. I don’t see her becoming A-list so either she will hit rock bottom after Modern Family or she’ll realize that there is more to life than celebrity and make something of herself outside of the entertainment industry.
Very good comment.
Her mother sounds so incredibly manipulative.
While I understand and wholeheartedly agree wiht the “it’s her body her choice” argument I still feel that there is more to this than what we care to admit. We defend her because of the horrible upbringing she’s had.
But she is a young actress and like Kiki was saying the other day, currently you have to have a certain behaviour, social presence, in order to get work. If she wants to go down the line of series or films with the kind of quality of Modern Family, she is not going to achieve it by pretending to be Chyna.
If she wants a reality show, then she’s down the right path. And it that case, good grief, what a poor choice of life considering what she has already achieved at such a young age.
I think she’s in a stage where she’s desperate to come across as more adult and more serious (because for the past 10 years or so she’s been playing this goody goody child), and she has that translated in her mind as “sex”. A lot of Disney stars (like Miley for instance) go through it too.
Seriously, I thought that WAS Kylie before I started reading. I just started binge watching Modern Family and I’m trying to connect these pics with the funny, nerdy daughter.
There’s class and then there’s trash. She doesnt need to go that route because she’s a very pretty girl no matter what. Unfortunately she’s chosen the latter. She may look back when she’s older and wonder what was I thinking?
Referring to acting out and evidence of emotional issues as “attention seeking” is pretty problematic. It’s very common for child abuse survivors to act out sexually and to dress and act inappropriately, because they’ve never been taught healthy boundaries.
I also can’t help but think if she was skinny and 25 no one would raise an eyebrow at her dressing that way.
I’m totally with you on some of the commentary being problematic. Painting a lack of feminine modesty as a lack of healthy boundaries is also problematic too though. Over the years, there have been activists who have shared that they’ve suffered some kind of abuse but have pointed out that society needs to get away from labeling every decision an adult survivor of child abuse makes about sexuality or their bodies as a symptom of their judgment being clouded by trauma. There’s also an unfair way this card is used, because when abuse survivors whose dress and sexuality are in line with patriarchal beliefs about morality and propriety are discussed, their decisions to be that way are rarely ever discussed as signs of trauma/damage. And the experiences of those of us who had good parents and non-abusive backgrounds but don’t care for or actively dislike values like ‘feminine sexual modesty’ get ignored in favor of perpetuating sexist stereotypes. On another site where this was covered, so many women were flooding the comment section to share the fact that they had good parents, a healthy childhood, and grew up to be normal, productive members of society but just weren’t modest.
Two words: not cool
Tacky, tacky, tickety, tacky.
So bottomline, the point isn’t what Ariel wears but why she always chooses the most provocative outfit she can find and then posts it all over. It leads to the conversation of why anyone feels with the right to judge her for what she chooses to wear, and she’s certainly championed that message, but like I mentioned in another post about this, it comes out as too attention seeking and now I can see why. It’s no one’s business but her own but her fashion choices in this case clearly point to something deeper. I hope she’s taking care of herself, mentally and emotionally.
She does tend to over expose … but I’m 55 and she’s a teenager. Not much different than what you see in the malls on any given day.
Her boyfriend has a very, shall we say, distinct look.
Meh, she’s an adult so she can dress however she likes. Her outfits are tacky but honestly not the worst, revealing-wise. At least she’s an adult, unlike say Malu Trejo and the Cash Me Outside girl Danielle; both who are 14 and use skimpy clothing/suggestive dancing to drum up interest on social media. Now those two girls need legal intervention, what they do borderlines on abuse and/or neglect as far as I’m concerned
My reaction to her clothes is about the fashion, not the skin. The outfits look cheap and beyond tacky. I like that she wants to promote body positivity but bad style is just plain ole bad style whether you are covered from head to toe or strutting your stuff in a bikini.
She has a good opportunity here to be what she wants to be. We need images of healthy girls who own their sexuality and bodies with power and confidence. She isn’t there yet.
She needs to take a break and decide how she wants to present herself. If you court more attention than usual then you invite intrusion she should know that by now. It’s a harmless photo anyway.
She has been through so much so I root for her. Stumbles are ok but I don’t want her to cement an image she can’t take back. Some time away from the lens would so her some good.
Her mother is a twisted hyena who needs to crawl back into her cesspool and shut the eff up. But abusers even do it by proxy like she is here. She can’t get to her personally so she used the media to hurt and shame.
Isn’t it the same mother who was abusing her? Oh well.
Reading all of the comments here makes me wonder how would Ariel feel by reading it all. It’s a valid curiosity, since many here aren’t just empty speculation over a celebrity, but really good insights.
I was removed from my abusive, absentee birth-parents’ home at a very young age; my beloved adoptive parents both passed away from long-term illnesses before I was fully an adult.
A lot of my young-adulthood was lost to having to work as an “unpaid carer” for both my adoptive parents. A lot of my *childhood* was lost to having two sh-tty parents: I had to grow up fast. It isn’t good or bad, just a fact. (I was a National Merit Finalist, graduated from university with academic honors, became well-known in my field of choice, and had WONDERFUL people in my life—yet still heard “wow! How did she NOT become a stripper?” anytime my audience became acquainted with aspects of my autobiography. That really blows. I saw a comment similar to this upthread, and it kind of made my blood boil.)
So my life shares only occasional similarities to Ms Winters’s, but I can certainly assure you that “going it alone” at an age where your parents should still be “adulting” for you, is truly terrifying stuff. Most 19-year olds would melt down.
I said this upthread, but it’s worth repeating: Ms Winters seems FINE.
She was extricated from an abusive environment, and she has been living independently for some time. She made the tough decision to be emancipated. She made the decision to have a breast reduction—an extremely personal decision she must have made for her own well-being, one that she has been refreshingly open about, and yet one she seemingly takes flack for—and, as I just learned upthread, she also made the (enormously responsible) decision to defer her enrollment at UCLA. That’s smart. Because, remember, her parents aren’t putting her through college; she is, and she only realized she was gonna be personally responsible for her education *as a teen* (whereas many parents have *18 years* to plan and save for that financial stress). Meanwhile, the TV show Modern Family has an expiration date, and she’s doing right by herself to continue working: it’s an opportunity to save up, and she’s very clearly doing that. So maybe, in an era where one of the hugest socioeconomic complaints is the exorbitant (and ever-increasing!) cost of higher education, some folks could ease up on her for deferring enrollment? I’m reading comments like “yeah I figured she couldn’t swing it.” Like, hold up, are you SERIOUS.
And clothes. Oh, my God. This kid’s mom lost the opportunity to weigh in on her daughter’s clothes the instant a court ruled it was in the “best interest of the child” for Ms Winter to be out on her own. No court would ever emancipate a child if a judge had not concluded “NO ‘adult supervision’ would be preferable to all THIS.”
As for the revealing clothes themselves? C’mon. She dresses like ANY normal teen might dress without parental supervision. Upthread I suggested that, sure, maybe she flaunts her independence on social media to her fellow teenaged peers—”check me out! I’m hardly dressed!”—and I think it’s GREAT that she paints her circumstances to her peers as a “positive.” She could choose to feel like a victim instead, and she doesn’t.
She seeks validation on social media, you say? Show me one ladder-climbing tech journalist who doesn’t. People are thirsty for validation all day long, famous or not. (I had plenty of love from my adoptive parents, but I was still a thirsty nightmare on Friendster.) So I really don’t see how her behavior is anything unlike a normal 19-year old’s. I just don’t.
And honestly, she was RIGHT to complain on Instagram. At her age I was a church-goer and a member of Campus Crusade for Christ, and even *I* was cohabitating by age 21. My adoptive mom was furious with me but, for better or worse, I stuck to my guns because I was making an important emotional and financial decision. I CERTAINLY didn’t have some seedy photographer following me and my fellow church-going boyfriend around the Jewel-Osco, slut-shaming us (or else my adoptive-mom would have died of actual shame). Can we not agree that sort of thing sucks and is totally unfair? Seriously. Come on.
I’m not a super-fan, and I don’t follow this kid—I’m a childless married 35-year-old woman who briefly worked in celebrity gossip years and years ago—but much of what I’ve read here in the comments, no offense to this gang of intelligent lovely people, is straight-up nonsense. That this kid is still working at all is testament to her resilience. And to be honest, my heart is breaking for her. I really do hope she has someone in her life to tell her, sincerely and proudly, and even publicly, “you’re doing great!”
I’m so sorry for this wall-o-text, but I really hate to see a young woman—a teenager—pilloried for living her day-to-day life to her ability’s absolute best. She is in the process of doing something the majority of us can’t imagine, which is entering adulthood without the toxic narcissists who *ought* to have been her emotional support system and her best influences. She isn’t getting pulled over or caught with drugs, and she doesn’t have a sex tape; she’s a teen who had to raise herself whilst also maintaining a full-time job. Are we really so puritanical that we’re gonna lay into her over her *social-media posts* and her *daisy-dukes*? Please tell me no, because I am SO depressed right now.
She’s looking like a real housewife of [fill in the blank] here. What has this child done to her face??
I hopped on over to Ariel’s instagram, and I, a 34 year-old woman, saw nothing wrong with what Ariel’s doing. I see everything wrong with Ariel’s estranged mom’s comments that her daughter should cover herself more to be more respectable, and the general sentiment that she’s dressing this way to attract attention to herself.
IS dressing this way attracting attention? Yes. Why? Because we, as a culture, still carry the notion that if you cross a certain standard in dress, you are “asking for it.” You are making yourself sexually available through showing your body, and you are presenting yourself as a sex object intentionally.
So when women dress this way, we still shame them: we say things like they are “so much more” than their bodies, that covering oneself encourages others to respect them. We imply that smart girls don’t show their bodies and do not sexualize themselves.
The only way through this problem is by chipping away at what is considered provocative: a body is just a body. Ariel can show all the underboob and ass she wants; it doesn’t mean she deserves to be disrespected, belittled, shamed.
When men show their bodies, we don’t shame them. Think of the recent Zac Efron tour of musculature. No one is calling him a whore who lacks self-respect for swanning around in swim trunks. Instead, he’s called hot, maybe seen as more manly, but he’s certainly not being looked down upon for showing his body. Efron’s always been a pretty boy, so he’s not the best example of someone allowed to be hot and sexy while still having thoughts of their own. Maybe the Chrises are a better example, all of whom are hot and/or ripped, but are allowed to be their own distinct flavours of beefcake, from tortured artiste stuck in a leading-man body, to fat kid turned hot, to ultimate Bro/dad, to leading lad on tour of humility and charm. The Chrises get asked about their bodies, but also about things other than their bodies, and aren’t asked about how they brand, dress, display or conceal their bodies. It’s expected that in some roles they will be sexy, and in others, covered. Their sex appeal is allowed to intersect with their wit, charm and good nature. I wish this were true of women in Hollywood but it so often isn’t.
Sexual power is still a kind of power, but only within this system that moralizes women’s bodies and sexuality. You subjugate yourself to it (showing your body) to gain power, but this is essentially passive, in that you’re seen to invite advances by showing your body, rather than being sexually aggressive with pursuing a man in words and action. This sexual power is about a lack of voice. It requires you to silently acquiesce to the way things are rather than push back.
So think about this: how, exactly, is this system going to change? By exactly what Ariel’s doing – wearing what the F she wants, and then pushing back repeatedly against the criticism she gets. Those of you who think she dresses provocatively only to cry wolf – how else is change going to happen? By her dressing like a nun and making similar statements? By her dressing in what she wants and just taking all the names she’s called?
We need to accept that women are people who can be sexual as well as whole, dimensional humans with thoughts and opinions as well as bodies. We need to stop judging women’s morality and character by the amount of flesh they display.
This. All of this. Mic drop.
She is not dressing sexy! She is not dressing trendy. Or like the Jenners or Hadids. She is dressing old and tacky. Why is she looking like one of the real housewives? Those women are in their 50s. This girl is not 20 yet.. Thus, yes her styling needs an overhaul. Huge.
She is very very very ttacky. She really needs a stylist pronto or she will make herself unhirable and uncastable. She looks like those older ladies that are having a crazy midlife crisis and wear too revealing clothes from a decade ago. Why is she wearing clothes from a decade ago.? Not retro yet but way too old for her. A mess. Makes it embarrssingly cringe to look at. SAd
It’s probably some neurosis about her not liking her body but thinking that men will still respond to the social signal and she isn’t harming anyone so she nothing to apologize for, it’s just awkward.