Females Unite In Support of Catherine Zeta-Jones Amidst Age-Related Remarks

Women are rallying behind acclaimed star Zeta-Jones following she faced criticism on social media regarding her appearance following a industry function.

Zeta-Jones attended an industry gathering in Los Angeles on 9 November where an online segment about her role in the latest Wednesday was overshadowed because of remarks about her age.

Voices of Support

Laura White, 58, described the backlash "absolute rubbish", adding that "males escape this sell-by/use-by date imposed on women".

"Males escape such a timeline imposed on women," stated Laura White.

Beauty journalist aged 50, Sali Hughes, stated unlike men, females are unfairly judged growing older and Zeta-Jones should be at liberty to appear in any way she chooses.

Digital Backlash

In the video, uploaded to Facebook and attracted more than 2.5m views, the actor, originally from Wales, spoke of the pleasure of portraying her role, the Addams Family matriarch, in the latest season.

However a large portion of the hundreds of comments zeroed in on her age and were disparaging regarding her looks.

The online backlash ignited widespread defence of the actor, including a widely-shared clip online which declared: "You bully women when they get cosmetic procedures and attack them when they don't have enough work."

Commenters also rallied in support, one stating: "She is growing older naturally and she is gorgeous."

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

Challenging Perceptions

Ms White arrived at the studio earlier without any makeup to make a statement and to demonstrate the absence of a "template" for what a female of a certain age should look like.

As with others in her demographic, she stated she "maintains her wellbeing" not to look younger but to feel "improved" and be "vibrant".

"Getting older represents a privilege and provided we age the best we can, this is what truly counts," she continued.

Ms White stated that men were not judged by identical beauty standards, noting "nobody scrutinizes the age of Tom Cruise, George Clooney or Tom Jones are - they just appear 'great'."

She said it was part of the motivation behind her participation in the competition the classic category, to prove that females of a certain age are still here" and "possess it".

The Core Issue

The author, a journalist of Welsh origin, stated that although the actor is "stunning" it was "beside the point", noting she ought to be at liberty to look however she liked free from her age coming under examination.

Hughes argued the online abuse demonstrated not a single woman is "exempt" and that females should not face the "perpetual story" that they are not good enough or of the right age - an issue that is "infuriating, regardless of the individual targeted".

Asked if men experience the same scrutiny, she responded "no, never", noting females are targeted merely for demonstrating the "audacity" to be present on the internet while aging.

A No-Win Situation

Regardless of cosmetic companies emphasizing "youthful longevity", Hughes said women were still judged if they age gracefully or opted for procedures including cosmetic surgery or injections.

"When a woman ages naturally, people say you ought to try harder; when you have procedures, you are criticized for not aging gracefully enough," she remarked further.