Women Rally In Support of the Oscar-Winning Actor Following Criticism Over Age Comments
Women are rallying for Oscar-winning actor Catherine Zeta-Jones following she encountered scrutiny online about her looks following a high-profile function.
She appeared at an industry gathering in LA last month where a TikTok interview discussing her part in the latest the 'Wednesday' show became dominated because of remarks about her age.
Voices of Support
This year's Miss Great Britain Classic winner, Laura White, labelled the backlash "absolute rubbish", noting that "males escape this expiration date that women do".
"Males escape this expiration date that women do," stated Laura White.
Beauty journalist aged 50, Sali Hughes, said in contrast to men, females are unfairly judged growing older and the actor deserves to be at liberty to appear in any way she chooses.
The Social Media Storm
Within the clip, which was also posted on Facebook and attracted millions of views, the actor, originally from Wales, talked about the pleasure of exploring her character, Morticia Addams, in season two.
However a large portion of the online responses focused on her years and were disparaging about her appearance.
The online backlash triggered a broad defence of Zeta-Jones, featuring a popular post from one Facebook user which said: "There is criticism for women when they get too much work done and attack them for not having enough."
Commenters also spoke up for her, one stating: "It's called aging naturally and she is beautiful."
Many labelled her as "gorgeous" and "so pretty", while someone else said that "she appears her age - that's called the natural process."
Making a Point
Ms White arrived on air earlier makeup-free as a demonstration and to demonstrate that there is no fixed "template" for what a woman of a certain age should look like.
Similar to numerous females her age, she stated she "takes care of herself" not to look younger but to feel "better" and look "vibrant".
"Getting older represents a gift and when we live gracefully, that's what really matters," she added.
She argued that men aren't held to the same aesthetic benchmarks, noting "people don't ask the age of Tom Cruise, George Clooney or Tom Jones are - they just appear 'great'."
She said it was part of the motivation for entering the competition the classic category, to prove that females of a certain age remain relevant" and "retain their appeal".
Unfair Scrutiny
The author, an author and presenter of Welsh origin, said that although the actor is "gorgeous" that is "not the point", noting she deserves to be free to appear in any way she chooses absent her age being scrutinised.
She said the social media vitriol demonstrated that no female is "protected" and that it is unfair for women to endure the "constant narrative" which says they are insufficient or of the right age - a situation that is "galling, irrespective of the individual targeted".
Questioned on whether males encounter the same scrutiny, she responded "absolutely not", explaining females are targeted just for demonstrating the "audacity" to exist online while aging.
A Double Bind
Regardless of the wellness sector emphasizing "age-defiance", the author stated women were still criticised regardless of if they grow older without intervention or chose interventions including surgical procedures or injectables.
"If you age naturally, people say you should do more; if you undergo work done, people say you failing to age well," she added.
