🔗 Share this article

Women are rallying behind acclaimed star Catherine Zeta-Jones following she encountered scrutiny across platforms regarding her appearance following a red carpet function.

She appeared at an industry gathering in Los Angeles on 9 November where a social media clip about her part in season two of Wednesday became dominated due to remarks concerning her appearance.

Voices of Support

This year's Miss Great Britain Classic winner, Laura White, called the online criticism "utter foolishness", adding that "men don't have such a timeline that women do".

"Males escape such a timeline which women face," stated the pageant winner.

Beauty journalist Sali Hughes, 50, commented in contrast to men, females are subject to unfair scrutiny as they age and she ought to be able to appear as she wishes.

The Social Media Storm

In the video, which was also posted on social media and had more than 2.5m views, the actor, hailing from Swansea, discussed the pleasure of delving into her part, the Addams Family matriarch, in the new episodes.

However many of the online responses centered on her age and were disparaging regarding her looks.

The online backlash sparked widespread defence for Zeta-Jones, such as a popular post online which declared: "There is criticism for females if they undergo cosmetic procedures and bully them for not having sufficient procedures."

Others also rallied in support, one stating: "She is growing older naturally and she appears stunning."

Others described her as "gorgeous" and "very attractive", while someone else said that "she looks her age - that's called life."

Making a Point

Ms White arrived for her interview recently with a bare face as a demonstration and to show the absence of a "blueprint" for what a woman in her 50s is supposed to look.

Similar to numerous females in her demographic, she explained she "takes care of herself" not for a youthful appearance but so she feels "better" and look "in good health".

"Growing older is an honour and if we can live as well as possible, that's what is important," she added.

She contended that males are not held to equivalent aesthetic benchmarks, stating "nobody scrutinizes how old Tom Cruise, George Clooney or Tom Jones might be - they simply appear 'fantastic'."

She explained that became one of the reasons for entering Miss Great Britain's category for over-45s, in order to demonstrate that midlife women remain relevant" and "still have it".

The Core Issue

Hughes, a journalist from Wales, said that while the actor is "stunning" that is "irrelevant", stating further she deserves to be able to appear in any way she chooses without her years coming under examination.

She stated the digital criticism showed that no female is "protected" and that women do not deserve the "perpetual story" suggesting they are lacking or youthful enough - a situation that is "maddening, no matter the individual targeted".

When asked if men experience equivalent judgment, she answered "not at all", adding women were criticized merely for showing "audacity" to live on the internet while growing older.

A No-Win Situation

Even with cosmetic companies advocating for "age-defiance", the author stated females are still judged if they age naturally or opted for procedures including plastic surgery or injectables.

"When a woman ages naturally, commenters state you ought to try harder; if you undergo procedures, you are criticized for failing to age well," she concluded.