🔗 Share this article

Females are uniting for acclaimed star Catherine Zeta-Jones following she faced scrutiny across platforms about her looks during a high-profile appearance.

Zeta-Jones attended a promotional function in Hollywood recently where a social media clip discussing her character in season two of Wednesday was eclipsed because of discussion focusing on her looks.

A Chorus of Defence

Laura White, 58, labelled the negative reaction "utter foolishness", stating that "men aren't given this sell-by/use-by date which women face".

"Males escape this sell-by/use-by date imposed on women," stated Ms White.

Beauty journalist Sali Hughes, 50, commented unlike men, females are subject to unfair scrutiny for ageing and Zeta-Jones should be free to appear as she wishes.

The Social Media Storm

During the interview, uploaded to social media and had more than 2.5m views, Zeta-Jones, originally from Mumbles, Swansea, spoke of how much she enjoyed delving into her role, the Addams Family matriarch, in the new episodes.

But many of the numerous remarks centered on her age and were disparaging about her appearance.

The online backlash sparked significant support of the actor, including a widely-shared clip online which stated: "People criticize women for having cosmetic procedures and criticize them when they don't have enough work."

Commenters also spoke up for her, one stating: "It's called growing older naturally and she appears stunning."

Some called her as "beautiful" and "so pretty", and one comment read that "she looks her age - which is simply the natural process."

A Statement Arrival

Ms White arrived on air earlier without any makeup as a demonstration and to demonstrate the absence of a "template" for what a female in her 50s is supposed to look.

Like many women in her demographic, she explained she "takes care of herself" not to appear younger but in order to feel "improved" and appear "healthy".

"Getting older represents a gift and provided we age as well as possible, that is what really matters," she stated further.

She argued that men aren't judged by equivalent appearance ideals, stating "nobody scrutinizes the age of famous men are - they just appear 'great'."

She explained it was part of the motivation for entering the pageant's division the classic category, to prove that midlife women remain relevant" and "still have it".

The Core Issue

The author, an author and presenter from Wales, stated that while Zeta-Jones was "beautiful" it was "irrelevant", noting she should be able to look as she wishes without her age coming under examination.

She stated the digital criticism showed not a single woman is "immune" and that it is unfair for women to endure the "constant narrative" that they are lacking or youthful enough - a situation that is "galling, no matter the person involved".

When asked if males encounter equivalent judgment, she said "absolutely not", adding females are criticized merely for showing "audacity" to live on social media while growing older.

A Double Bind

Despite cosmetic companies promoting "age-defiance", Hughes said women were still criticised whether they aged without intervention or opted for procedures such as cosmetic surgery or fillers.

"Should you grow older gracefully, people say you should do more; when you have procedures, you're accused of trying too hard," she remarked further.