Women Rally Behind Catherine Zeta-Jones Over Criticism Over Age Criticism
Females are uniting for Oscar-winning actor Zeta-Jones after she encountered disparaging remarks across platforms about her looks during a red carpet event.
Zeta-Jones attended an industry gathering in Los Angeles recently where an online segment featuring her character in the latest Wednesday became dominated because of discussion focusing on her appearance.
A Chorus of Defence
Aged 58, Laura White, called the negative reaction "absolute rubbish", noting that "men don't have this sell-by/use-by date imposed on women".
"Males escape this expiration date that women do," said Ms White.
Beauty journalist Sali Hughes, 50, stated in contrast to men, females are subject to unfair scrutiny as they age and Zeta-Jones should be free to look as she wishes.
Digital Backlash
Within the clip, which was also posted on social media and garnered over 2.5 million views, the actor, hailing from Swansea, discussed the pleasure of delving into her role, Morticia Addams, in season two.
Yet many of the online responses zeroed in on her years and were disparaging towards her appearance.
This criticism sparked widespread defence for the actor, such as a popular post online which said: "You bully women if they undergo treatments and criticize them if they avoid enough."
Commenters also came to her defence, one stating: "It's called aging naturally and she looks beautiful."
Many labelled her as "beautiful" and "very attractive", with another adding that "she looks her age - that's called life."
A Statement Arrival
She appeared on air recently without any makeup as a demonstration and to demonstrate that there is no fixed "mold" for what a female in her 50s ought to appear.
Like many women of her years, she explained she "takes care of herself" not for a youthful appearance but to feel "improved" and appear "vibrant".
"Ageing is an honour and provided we age as well as possible, that's what really matters," she stated further.
Ms White stated that males are not held to the same aesthetic benchmarks, stating "no-one questions the age of famous men might be - they simply look 'great'."
Ms White noted it was one of the reasons for entering the competition the classic category, in order to demonstrate that females of a certain age are still here" and "possess it".
Unfair Scrutiny
Sali Hughes, a writer and commentator of Welsh origin, commented that although Zeta-Jones was "stunning" this is "not the point", stating further she should be able to appear however she liked without her years coming under examination.
She stated the social media vitriol demonstrated no woman was "exempt" and that women do not deserve the "ongoing theme" suggesting they are insufficient or of the right age - a problem that is "infuriating, irrespective of the person involved".
When asked if men face identical criticism, she said "absolutely not", noting women were attacked merely for demonstrating the "audacity" to live on social media as they age.
A No-Win Situation
Despite the wellness sector promoting "longevity", the author stated females are still criticised whether they aged without intervention or chose interventions such as cosmetic surgery or injectables.
"Should you grow older gracefully, commenters state more could be done; if you get procedures, people say you failing to age well," she remarked further.