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Women are rallying for Oscar-winning actor Zeta-Jones after she was targeted by scrutiny across platforms about her appearance during a industry function.

The actor was present at a Netflix event in Hollywood recently during which a social media clip featuring her character in the new series of Wednesday was overshadowed due to discussion about her appearance.

Voices of Support

Aged 58, Laura White, labelled the negative reaction "complete nonsense", stating that "males escape this sell-by/use-by date imposed on women".

"Males escape such a timeline imposed on women," said Ms White.

Author Sali Hughes, 50, said differently from men, women were subject to unfair scrutiny growing older and she ought to be free to look however she liked.

Online Reaction

Within the clip, which was also posted on Facebook and had over 2.5 million views, the actor, who is from Mumbles, Swansea, discussed the pleasure of portraying her role, the Addams Family matriarch, in the new episodes.

However a large portion of the hundreds of comments centered on her years and were critical towards her appearance.

This criticism ignited widespread defence of Zeta-Jones, such as a viral video online which declared: "People criticize females for having cosmetic procedures and criticize them when they don't have enough work."

Online users rallied in support, one stating: "She is ageing naturally and she looks stunning."

Others described her as "gorgeous" and "very attractive", while someone else said that "she looks her age - which is simply life."

Challenging Perceptions

The winner attended on air recently makeup-free as a demonstration and to highlight that there is no fixed "template" of how a female in midlife is supposed to look.

Similar to numerous females her age, she explained she "maintains her wellbeing" not to look younger but so she feels "well" and appear "vibrant".

"Getting older represents a gift and provided we live gracefully, that is what really matters," she added.

She contended that men were not held to equivalent aesthetic benchmarks, stating "people don't ask how old certain male celebrities are - they only appear 'great'."

She said that became a key factor she entered Miss Great Britain's category the classic category, to "show that midlife women continue to exist" and "still have it".

A Fundamental Problem

Hughes, a journalist from Wales, stated that while Zeta-Jones was "beautiful" it was "not the point", stating further she deserves to be at liberty to look in any way she chooses free from her years coming under examination.

Hughes argued the online abuse proved not a single woman is "protected" and that women do not deserve the "constant narrative" which says they are lacking or youthful enough - an issue that is "infuriating, no matter who the victim is".

Questioned on whether men face the same scrutiny, she said "absolutely not", noting females are attacked simply for demonstrating the "nerve" to be present online while aging.

An Impossible Standard

Even with the beauty industry emphasizing "age-defiance", she commented females are still judged regardless of if they grow older naturally or chose interventions such as cosmetic surgery or injections.

"Should you grow older without intervention, people say you ought to try harder; if you undergo procedures, you are criticized for not aging gracefully enough," she remarked further.