Can women age gracefully and naturally?
July 1st 2009 00:10
My husband and sister had a heated argument over the weekend about women and ageing gracefully. My sister argued that it is not in a woman’s nature to age gracefully, and the women who ‘appeared’ to do so had undertaken plastic surgery to look younger – especially in Hollywood. She added that men, as they grow older, only look more distinguished and dignified.
My husband considered this a totally sexist comment, and believed that there are older women in Hollywood who have not gone under the knife and still look quite attractive – perhaps a rare few but they do exist.
In order to prove my sister wrong (more so I could have some hope that women CAN age gracefully), I started scouring the internet to see which older Hollywood actresses had not given in to the pressure of plastic surgery. I came across Make Me Heal.
What was alarming with the articles here is not the number and types of surgeries some actresses have admitted to getting, or how young many actresses were when they had their first plastic surgery. No, the most alarming thing is that no contemporary actress, especially those over 40, are exempt from speculation that they MUST have had plastic surgery, and even proposed ‘evidence’ that these older actresses have not aged as gracefully and as naturally as they claim.
Michelle Pfeiffer
At 51, Pfeiffer is still considered simply stunning, and although tempted by the idea of surgery, especially during the times when she’s feeling tired, she has denied going under the knife. She credits her youthful beauty to exercising in the gym and eating well.
But according to Make Me Heal, Pfeiffer has been lying all along and has given in to the temptation of plastic surgery early in her career, starting with her nose. MMH further states that during a photo taken of Pfeiffer at the premier of Hairspray showed a woman with no wrinkles on her forehead, no sagging around her jaw, chin and neck.
It didn’t occur to MMH that perhaps Pfeiffer may have delved in chemical peels prior to the premier, or that make-up with new innovative technology being advertised, may have helped. Oh no, because to MMH, “it is nearly impossible to have a completely wrinkle-free forehead nearing 50”.
Meryl Streep
At 60 years old, MMH claims Streep has been ‘sporting a very taut neck, no jowls, flawless face that is virtually free of wrinkles and refreshed eyes.”
They add that this appearance was clearly evident in the film The Devil Wears Prada. Again, MMH never considered that perhaps the movie editors worked overtime to ensure Streep appeared this way. Because that never happened in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button at all. No, we’re still living in the days where the likes of Photoshop and airbrushing have never been heard of.
Streep’s cheekbones were also under scrutiny. While MMH conceded that Streep has had her cheekbones for ‘decades’, they speculate if she’s had cheek implants. And went on to state with such certainty, “What is difficult to pin down is not the fact that Meryl Streep had cosmetic surgery, which she did, but rather when it happened”.
Sally Field
When I first saw Sally Field in The Flying Nun, I thought she looked like Debbie Reynolds and that she had one of those cute, fresh round faces that would defy age. But MMH was ever pessimistic, claiming that Fields is ‘underplaying her own plastic surgery past as she appears to have already gone under the knife at least one or more times’ – facelift, necklift and blepharoplasty. They did concede though that whatever Field had, it was natural and not ‘overdone’.
And it seems it’s not just the older actresses whose denials of plastic surgery have been scoffed at. Teen celebrities have also come under fire, such as Miley Cyrus and Vanessa Hudgens (and Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears before they turned 20), who have triggered speculation that they both have had breast augmentation. Naturally, the fact that these girls are (or were) still in their teen years with their bodies still in development, or there are such things as a Wonderbra these days, have nothing to do with it.
Hollywood has become synonymous with the word fake and when one thinks about showbiz, the word ‘natural’ doesn’t come to mind. Granted, many celebrities have undergone plastic surgery – I realise that’s the nature of the harsh business. But surely, not ALL celebrities have given in to the temptation and retained the mantra that nature is beauty. And I find it sad that people, like the writers of MMH and my own sister, would try and justify their reasons why they think a star has had plastic surgery, often backing it up with ‘because it’s impossible for an older woman to look THAT good’ and concluding that the idea of a woman aging gracefully is nothing but a myth.
My husband considered this a totally sexist comment, and believed that there are older women in Hollywood who have not gone under the knife and still look quite attractive – perhaps a rare few but they do exist.
In order to prove my sister wrong (more so I could have some hope that women CAN age gracefully), I started scouring the internet to see which older Hollywood actresses had not given in to the pressure of plastic surgery. I came across Make Me Heal.
What was alarming with the articles here is not the number and types of surgeries some actresses have admitted to getting, or how young many actresses were when they had their first plastic surgery. No, the most alarming thing is that no contemporary actress, especially those over 40, are exempt from speculation that they MUST have had plastic surgery, and even proposed ‘evidence’ that these older actresses have not aged as gracefully and as naturally as they claim.
Michelle Pfeiffer
At 51, Pfeiffer is still considered simply stunning, and although tempted by the idea of surgery, especially during the times when she’s feeling tired, she has denied going under the knife. She credits her youthful beauty to exercising in the gym and eating well.
But according to Make Me Heal, Pfeiffer has been lying all along and has given in to the temptation of plastic surgery early in her career, starting with her nose. MMH further states that during a photo taken of Pfeiffer at the premier of Hairspray showed a woman with no wrinkles on her forehead, no sagging around her jaw, chin and neck.
It didn’t occur to MMH that perhaps Pfeiffer may have delved in chemical peels prior to the premier, or that make-up with new innovative technology being advertised, may have helped. Oh no, because to MMH, “it is nearly impossible to have a completely wrinkle-free forehead nearing 50”.
Meryl Streep
At 60 years old, MMH claims Streep has been ‘sporting a very taut neck, no jowls, flawless face that is virtually free of wrinkles and refreshed eyes.”
They add that this appearance was clearly evident in the film The Devil Wears Prada. Again, MMH never considered that perhaps the movie editors worked overtime to ensure Streep appeared this way. Because that never happened in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button at all. No, we’re still living in the days where the likes of Photoshop and airbrushing have never been heard of.
Streep’s cheekbones were also under scrutiny. While MMH conceded that Streep has had her cheekbones for ‘decades’, they speculate if she’s had cheek implants. And went on to state with such certainty, “What is difficult to pin down is not the fact that Meryl Streep had cosmetic surgery, which she did, but rather when it happened”.
Sally Field
When I first saw Sally Field in The Flying Nun, I thought she looked like Debbie Reynolds and that she had one of those cute, fresh round faces that would defy age. But MMH was ever pessimistic, claiming that Fields is ‘underplaying her own plastic surgery past as she appears to have already gone under the knife at least one or more times’ – facelift, necklift and blepharoplasty. They did concede though that whatever Field had, it was natural and not ‘overdone’.
And it seems it’s not just the older actresses whose denials of plastic surgery have been scoffed at. Teen celebrities have also come under fire, such as Miley Cyrus and Vanessa Hudgens (and Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears before they turned 20), who have triggered speculation that they both have had breast augmentation. Naturally, the fact that these girls are (or were) still in their teen years with their bodies still in development, or there are such things as a Wonderbra these days, have nothing to do with it.
Hollywood has become synonymous with the word fake and when one thinks about showbiz, the word ‘natural’ doesn’t come to mind. Granted, many celebrities have undergone plastic surgery – I realise that’s the nature of the harsh business. But surely, not ALL celebrities have given in to the temptation and retained the mantra that nature is beauty. And I find it sad that people, like the writers of MMH and my own sister, would try and justify their reasons why they think a star has had plastic surgery, often backing it up with ‘because it’s impossible for an older woman to look THAT good’ and concluding that the idea of a woman aging gracefully is nothing but a myth.
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Comment by Aimzster
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I, too, am very much looking forward to Time Traveler's Wife. When I heard Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams will be in it, I couldn't have thought of a better casting. Can't wait to watch it.