It's clear as day that youth is a hot-selling product, especially in a visually driven industry like that of beauty and entertainment. Unrealistic beauty standards and expiry dates that end in one's 30s only support this narrative. This is what makes personalities who speak against such discourse so important. Brooke Shields has proved to be quite the gem in this regard.
(Also Read: On Gender Equality In Beauty Standards, Actress Jameela Jamil Wonders Why Men Aren't Asked "About The Joys Of" Ageing)
The American actress recently released her new memoir titled Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old: Thoughts on Aging as a Woman and has been publicly speaking about ageing as a celebrity who exists in the limelight. In an interview with Good Morning America, Brooke said, "I was doing an Instagram Live the other day and one of the comments was 'I really wish you looked the way you used to. And I was like, 'really?'...I thought, 'We're all so out of touch. We need to find joy in this' "
Having been a public persona since the 80s, the actress knows firsthand the ageist beauty standards that exist more for female celebrities. "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.' ", she adds.
To that ends, Brooke explains that her focus is more on enjoying the journey that has led her here rather than concealing the signs that brought her to this point in the first place. "I've earned everything that I have on my face," she reiterates.
"This period of (a woman's) time over 40 is a wonderful time, and it's all about you. You've earned it, and it's your turn to feel really, really supported by yourself and good about yourself. Every single woman I know who's over 40 is absolutely fabulous. They are doing new things and they're empowered in a way that they weren't ever before," signs off Brooke.
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