Why is the world still not ready for women to get old? Brooke Shields has taken a stand against people who have criticized her looks as she gracefully ages, and I'm all for it.
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Men have been allowed to age in the public eye for generations. We celebrate their greying hair and crow's feet, hailing them as weathered and rugged. But women, as they age, and start to sport their wrinkles and crinkles, are vilified for the natural process.
Brooke Shields has had enough, and with the release of her new book Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old: Thoughts on Aging as a Woman, she has clapped back at critics. She's had enough and is making a stand against the anti-aging bigotry so prevalent in public opinion.
Brooke Shields's whole life has been spent in front of the camera. From the tender age of 11 months, she has been on screen, performing and being scrutinized. If anyone knows just how harsh the limelight can be it's her. She recounted a live Instagram post she broadcasted the other day and the comments she received.
"One of the comments was, "I really wish you looked the way you used to,"' Shields recounted. "And I was like, "Really?" Furthermore, she went on to say how out of touch the world seems to be about women's beauty and the process of aging.
Brooke Shields Believes It's Time To Take A Fresh Look At Womens Beauty
Looking back at her own life, and the various pressures she's had about her looks, Brooks Shields points out that it isn't only the media that are focused on women's appearance. After visiting two different male doctors, they had asked if she had been restricting her diet.
"You wouldn't say that to a man," she highlighted. The scrutiny women have to go through, even from medical professionals, shows the difference in the public's views of women. But, it's all stemming from somewhere, and Shields thinks it's the beauty industry.
"The beauty industry wants us to chase youth, we look at regrets — what if, what if. And I think it's important to understand where you've been. But I think it's really joyous to say, "I may not know where I'm going but I'm here..."
Brooke Shields believes it's better to love the skin you're in rather than trying to chase a body you once had. The past is gone, and there is no amount of plastic surgery that's going to bring it back. Equally, the public needs to stop seeing women aging as a bad thing. With a healthy lifestyle, and a head held high, it's very easy to age gracefully.
