Whilst blogs and social media are going crazy about Renée Zellweger's new look, what we think about it, why? And critical analogies telling us off for our opinions on the matter, I
can't help but think,why have we reacted in this way? and are we bad people for doing so? Over the past few days i'd like to say I haven't read around 20 different articles on the matter, but the fact is I have. Whichever social media site I go on I find an interesting headline drawing me in to again read about the same thing from various different perspectives. Everyone can agree on one thing - the lady that walked onto the red carpet at the Elle Women in Hollywood Awards, did not resemble the lady that we all associate with being Renée Zellweger, and yet it was. Was it bad of us to instantly think 'Wait no that can't be her!', 'she must have had something done' or the controversial 'well isn't she looking a bit worse for wear'. I've read several articles slating the final comment, and suggesting that those who thought that are insensitive and naive of the affects of the ageing process. I understand this point of view and can grasp the idea that many women may be perhaps offended by the publics extreme reaction to the situation. Women in the public eye are often criticised for changes in appearance and have a the burden of constantly being judged on their visual appearance. All women, all humans feel self conscious, awkward, embarassed and nervous at various times in their life, so surely they would understand how Zellweger probably felt nervous about debuting her new look, yet they still reacted in a shocked and questioning manner. Why is this? is this because, as many have argued, we are horrible people, we have no sympathy, we don't understand that the ageing process effects us all in different ways? No, the fact is, we are all merely curious, as we would be if we met with a friend and they showed up looking vastly different. We'd ask this friend, 'have you been dieting? changed your lifestyle?', this is not out of rudeness, but interest. Whether you thought she looked better, worse or merely different, it's normal to question change, everyone does it.
K.
can't help but think,why have we reacted in this way? and are we bad people for doing so? Over the past few days i'd like to say I haven't read around 20 different articles on the matter, but the fact is I have. Whichever social media site I go on I find an interesting headline drawing me in to again read about the same thing from various different perspectives. Everyone can agree on one thing - the lady that walked onto the red carpet at the Elle Women in Hollywood Awards, did not resemble the lady that we all associate with being Renée Zellweger, and yet it was. Was it bad of us to instantly think 'Wait no that can't be her!', 'she must have had something done' or the controversial 'well isn't she looking a bit worse for wear'. I've read several articles slating the final comment, and suggesting that those who thought that are insensitive and naive of the affects of the ageing process. I understand this point of view and can grasp the idea that many women may be perhaps offended by the publics extreme reaction to the situation. Women in the public eye are often criticised for changes in appearance and have a the burden of constantly being judged on their visual appearance. All women, all humans feel self conscious, awkward, embarassed and nervous at various times in their life, so surely they would understand how Zellweger probably felt nervous about debuting her new look, yet they still reacted in a shocked and questioning manner. Why is this? is this because, as many have argued, we are horrible people, we have no sympathy, we don't understand that the ageing process effects us all in different ways? No, the fact is, we are all merely curious, as we would be if we met with a friend and they showed up looking vastly different. We'd ask this friend, 'have you been dieting? changed your lifestyle?', this is not out of rudeness, but interest. Whether you thought she looked better, worse or merely different, it's normal to question change, everyone does it.
K.
