Females are uniting behind Oscar-winning actor Catherine Zeta-Jones following she faced criticism online regarding her appearance during a red carpet event.
The actor was present at an industry gathering in LA last month where a TikTok interview discussing her character in the latest the 'Wednesday' show became dominated by discussion concerning her age.
Voices of Support
This year's Miss Great Britain Classic winner, Laura White, called the online criticism "absolute rubbish", stating that "men aren't given such a timeline imposed on women".
"Men don't have this sell-by/use-by date that women do," said Laura White.
Writer and commentator aged 50, Sali Hughes, commented in contrast to men, females are criticized for ageing and the actor deserves to be free to look as she wishes.
The Social Media Storm
Within the clip, also shared to social media and attracted more than 2.5m views, Zeta-Jones, hailing from Mumbles, Swansea, spoke of the pleasure of portraying her character, Morticia Addams, in season two.
But a large portion of the hundreds of comments zeroed in on her years and were disparaging regarding her appearance.
The online backlash triggered a broad defence for the actor, featuring a viral video from a social media user which said: "People criticize women if they undergo too much work done and criticize them if they avoid sufficient procedures."
Commenters also spoke up for her, with one writing: "It's called growing older naturally and she is beautiful."
Many labelled her as "gorgeous" and "lovely", while someone else said that "her appearance reflects her years - that's called reality."
Challenging Perceptions
Ms White arrived on air earlier with a bare face as a demonstration and to show there was no set "template" of how a female in her 50s is supposed to look.
Similar to numerous females of her years, she stated she "takes care of herself" not to appear younger but so she feels "better" and be "in good health".
"Growing older is a privilege and if we can age gracefully, that is what really matters," she stated further.
She argued that men were not judged by the same aesthetic benchmarks, noting "people don't ask how old famous men might be - they just look 'fantastic'."
She explained this was a key factor behind her participation in Miss Great Britain's category for over-45s, to "show that women in midlife are still here" and "still have it".
A Fundamental Problem
Hughes, a writer and commentator from Wales, commented that although the actor is "gorgeous" it was "not the point", adding she ought to be at liberty to look however she liked absent her years facing scrutiny.
Hughes argued the social media vitriol showed that no female is "exempt" and that it is unfair for women to endure the "ongoing theme" which says they are not good enough or young enough - an issue that is "infuriating, no matter the person involved".
Asked if men face the same scrutiny, she responded "absolutely not", noting women were criticized simply for demonstrating the "boldness" to be present online while growing older.
A No-Win Situation
Despite the wellness sector promoting "age-defiance", the author stated women were still criticised whether they aged without intervention or underwent treatments such as surgical procedures or fillers.
"If you age naturally, others claim you ought to try harder; if you undergo procedures, you are criticized for not aging gracefully enough," she remarked further.
