It’s impossible to scroll through social media without encountering some absolute nonsense. It could be some weird challenge, a sketchy marketing ploy, or a Tweet calling international icon Pamela Anderson ugly. One Twitter user, who apparently thinks he’s the arbiter of beauty, decided to comment on Pamela Anderson’s shift to a natural look. “This USED to be the HOTTEST woman in the WORD,” he wrote alongside a video of Anderson.
The reception to the Tweet was pretty mixed; though some came to her defense, many added additional misogynistic and ageist comments. That’s the unfortunate reality of being a woman in the media. How dare she have a body that does what bodies do? How dare she feel good about herself and share that with the world?
When it comes to beauty standards and their emphasis on youth, there’s no winning. If you get plastic surgery, you’re fake. If you embrace your natural self, you’re subject to ridicule. Even Pamela Anderson, who has fit the beauty standards to a T, faces criticism for embracing her natural beauty as she ages.
In a Glamour interview earlier this year, Anderson reflected on how beauty standards affect young women: “I was a young, impressionable girl once, and am still impressionable. But I do take it more seriously, and I do want to be a better example.” She recognizes how taxing it can be to adhere to beauty standards, and that it doesn’t have to be this way.
“Antiaging is a lie.”
Pamela Anderson
Instead of letting the Internet trolls win, Anderson has shifted her attention to finding levity in her changing appearance rather than hiding it. “Antiaging is a lie,” she said. “We’re getting older no matter what. Things change, and if you can find a sense of humor in it, it’s better.”
There’s something radical about being one of the biggest sex symbols in Hollywood and pivoting to a more natural look. While it’s sad that Pamela Anderson’s decision to just be herself has become a whole spectacle, the attention she has garnered has reached many young women. “The fact that she is still as beautiful {is} because she takes care of herself and {is} aging gracefully, people are scared of her bravery to be this authentic about her age,” wrote one Twitter user.
It’s true: change can be uncomfortable, especially to those who uphold all the misogynistic and ageist craziness we’ve been fed. But, more importantly, change can be beautiful. There is something magical about growing older. With age, we acquire more wisdom, appreciation, and self-acceptance.
There are always going to be trolls in the world, but the loudest and most hateful voices are also the most insecure. Pamela Anderson’s vulnerability speaks to her true beauty: her wisdom, grace, and authenticity. Plus, we think she looks fabulous.
What's Your Reaction?
