What defines real?
A recent blog called When it Comes to Aging, Real is Really In discusses the current trend in Hollywood of choosing actresses of a certain age who look “real” – that is actresses that have not had a ton of work done.
I wonder if this conversation somewhat misses the point.
If real is really in, what defines real?
Is real actually defined by how we look?
I would agree that one aspect of real has to do with how we look – or more to the point, our own acceptance of our physical self. That delicious place of being able to love oneself at all ages and stages, in all shapes and sizes. I’m not sure that feeling originates from the outside in.
When I think about some “Hollywood role models” that seem to embrace their real selves, it has more to do with the qualities they exude rather than what they look like. Sure they might have given up hair dye or avoided too much plastic surgery, but that’s not what makes them real. They are confident, articulate, passionate, caring, funny and a whole host of other qualities that have nothing to do with appearance.
I’m not convinced that just because a woman chooses plastic surgery it excludes her from the sisterhood of real. Who knows why she made that decision? Real also includes insecurity and perfectionism.
Perhaps real will be really in when we stop talking about what we look like and start talking about who we are.
Great post. For some reason, I've been really bothered by the outbreak of women in Hollywood I've really admired getting "work" done. These women are gorgeous by just about any standard out there and now they look like the Joker. I just find it really disturbing.
You thoughts though have made me think (again!). Maybe they are more real because they have chosen to take control of their bodies (faces) and resist aging. They have a level of pressure few of us can understand. As my girlfriend often says, your self esteem gets a lot different when your face is up on a 50 foot screen. I guess the reason we often chat about appearances of Hollywood people is that we don't know anything else about them. All we usually get is what we can see.
Thanks for the post.