Females Unite In Support of the Oscar-Winning Actor Following Age-Related Remarks
Females are uniting in defence of acclaimed star Zeta-Jones following she was targeted by criticism across platforms about her appearance at a recent industry appearance.
The actor was present at a Netflix event in Los Angeles on 9 November during which a TikTok interview discussing her character in the new series of Wednesday became dominated by remarks concerning her appearance.
Voices of Support
Laura White, 58, described the negative reaction "utter foolishness", stating that "men don't have such a timeline that women do".
"Males escape this sell-by/use-by date imposed on women," said Laura White.
Writer and commentator aged 50, Sali Hughes, commented unlike men, females are subject to unfair scrutiny for ageing and Zeta-Jones should be able to appear as she wishes.
The Social Media Storm
In the video, also shared to social media and attracted millions of views, the actor, originally from Mumbles, Swansea, talked about the pleasure of delving into her character, the Addams Family matriarch, in the latest season.
However a significant number of the online responses focused on her years and were critical about her looks.
The online backlash sparked a broad defence for Zeta-Jones, featuring a popular post online which declared: "There is criticism for women for having too much work done and criticize them for not having sufficient procedures."
Commenters also came to her defence, one stating: "She is ageing naturally and she looks stunning."
Others described her as "beautiful" and "so pretty", with another adding that "she appears her age - that's called life."
Making a Point
She appeared for her interview earlier with a bare face as a demonstration and to demonstrate there was no set "mold" of how a female in midlife should look like.
Like many women in her demographic, she said she "takes care of herself" not to look younger but in order to feel "better" and look "in good health".
"Growing older is an honour and if we can age as well as possible, that is what truly counts," she continued.
She contended that men were not subject to identical beauty standards, stating "people don't ask how old famous men are - they only appear 'wonderful'."
She said this was part of the motivation she entered Miss Great Britain's category for women over 45, in order to demonstrate that females of a certain age are still here" and "possess it".
The Core Issue
The author, a writer and commentator of Welsh origin, commented that although Zeta-Jones was "gorgeous" it was "not the point", stating further she ought to be free to look as she wishes absent her years facing scrutiny.
Hughes argued the digital criticism demonstrated not a single woman is "protected" and that women do not deserve the "constant narrative" which says they are not good enough or of the right age - a problem that is "infuriating, regardless of who the victim is".
Asked if men face equivalent judgment, she answered "no, never", explaining women were targeted just for demonstrating the "audacity" to live on social media while growing older.
A Double Bind
Despite cosmetic companies emphasizing "youthful longevity", the author stated females are still judged if they age naturally or chose interventions such as plastic surgery or injections.
"If you age naturally, others claim you should do more; when you have work done, people say you trying too hard," she remarked further.
