Women are rallying in defence of Oscar-winning actor Zeta-Jones following she encountered criticism on social media over her appearance following a high-profile appearance.
Zeta-Jones attended an industry gathering in Hollywood last month during which a TikTok interview about her character in the latest Wednesday was overshadowed because of discussion concerning her appearance.
A Chorus of Defence
Aged 58, Laura White, called the online criticism "absolute rubbish", noting that "males escape such a timeline that women do".
"Men don't have such a timeline that women do," said the pageant winner.
Author Sali Hughes, 50, said unlike men, women were unfairly judged growing older and she ought to be free to look in any way she chooses.
Digital Backlash
During the interview, uploaded to Facebook and had more than 2.5m views, Zeta-Jones, originally from Swansea, talked about how much she enjoyed exploring her part, Morticia Addams, in the new episodes.
Yet a large portion of the numerous remarks focused on her years and were critical regarding her looks.
This criticism sparked significant support for the actor, featuring a widely-shared clip online which declared: "You bully females if they undergo treatments and attack them if they avoid sufficient procedures."
Commenters also rallied in support, as one put it: "She is growing older naturally and she is beautiful."
Many labelled her as "gorgeous" and "very attractive", with another adding that "she appears her age - that is the natural process."
A Statement Arrival
The winner attended on air recently with a bare face to "prove a point" and to demonstrate that there is no fixed "template" of how a female of a certain age should look like.
As with others of her years, she explained she "takes care of herself" not to look younger but in order to feel "well" and appear "vibrant".
"Ageing is a gift and if we can live gracefully, this is what truly counts," she added.
Ms White stated that males are not subject to the same aesthetic benchmarks, stating "people don't ask the age of Tom Cruise, George Clooney or Tom Jones are - they just look 'wonderful'."
She explained this was one of the reasons behind her participation in Miss Great Britain's category the classic category, in order to demonstrate that women in midlife continue to exist" and "still have it".
Unfair Scrutiny
Sali Hughes, an author and presenter from Wales, commented that although Zeta-Jones was "beautiful" that is "irrelevant", stating further she deserves to be able to look in any way she chooses without her age being scrutinised.
She stated the social media vitriol demonstrated not a single woman is "protected" and that females should not face the "constant narrative" which says they are not good enough or young enough - an issue that is "maddening, no matter the person involved".
Questioned on whether men face equivalent judgment, she said "absolutely not", adding women were criticized simply for demonstrating the "audacity" to live on the internet as they age.
A No-Win Situation
Even with the wellness sector promoting "age-defiance", she commented females are still judged whether they aged without intervention or underwent treatments like plastic surgery or injections.
"When a woman ages gracefully, people say you should do more; if you get work done, people say you trying too hard," she remarked further.
