The criticism of Meg Ryan’s appearance reveals a bigger issue that is NOT getting better
During last night’s Tony Awards, Meg Ryan introduced the cast of She Loves Me, the Broadway musical that inspired her 1998 film with Tom Hanks, You’ve Got Mail. Not long afterwards, Ryan became a target for Twitter users who were concerned with the 54-year-old actress’ appearance.
News outlets and Twitter users (both men and women) criticized Ryan, saying that, among many other cruel things, she looked drastically different than before. false false false false false
First of all, it’s been years since she acted in When Harry Met Sally, You’ve Got Mail, and Sleepless in Seattle so, NEWSFLASH! She did what every human does: AGE.
In a 2015 interview with Net-a-Porter, Ryan had discussed the issue of aging, women, and plastic surgery rumors, saying she didn’t pay a lot of attention to the accusations. “There’s a lot of hatred in the world today. It’s so easy to judge,” she said at the time. “Imagine being a hater, how stupid.”
This whole thing with Ryan might feel like déjà vu, especially when compared to Renée Zellweger, who was at the center of her own plastic surgery rumors in 2014. All in all, the same people who think it’s their place to speculate whether or not a woman has had plastic surgery are most likely the same ones who would criticize her for looking older. Women, especially in Hollywood, are under pressure to maintain a youthful appearance more than men. While male actors can age gracefully and become “silver foxes,” women are expected to retain their looks, and if they decide to get plastic surgery, they will be condemned for that as well. How can anyone win?
Whether or not a woman wants to forgo plastic surgery OR use it to alter her appearance, it is nobody else’s business but the woman’s. Unfortunately, there are still people out there who will continue to comment on the appearances of others, but there are also many who recognize that the issue is preposterous and there are more important things we should be focusing on at the moment. false false false
“I love my age,” Ryan had said in the same interview. “I love my life right now. I love the person I’ve become, the one I’ve evolved into.”
We all should take some inspiration from her words.