Trending 10th June 2023 by Slaine McKenna
Jennifer Aniston Doesn’t Want To Hear She ‘Looks Good For Her Age’
Jennifer Aniston is making some good points!
Everyone likes hearing a compliment, even if you’re shy and might not know what to reply, hearing something good that you can carry with you throughout your day, is usually a good experience.
But not all compliments are created equally and some do more harm than good, something Jennifer Anniston knows all too well.
The actress has been in the spotlight since her meteoric rise to fame in 1994, when she starred as Rachel Green in the hit comedy Friends. Jen soon became the talk of the town, so much so that even her haircut developed a cult-follow. She launched a successful film career, became the face of many brands, and was a mainstay on red carpets. So naturally the starlet was used to getting plenty of compliments.
Jen saw continued success, right up until the present day, as she currently stars in Apple TV’s The Morning Show alongside Reese Witherspoon, and has launch her own haircare line, Lola Vie. And of course, she is still be showered with praise, however, Jen, now in her 50s, has noticed a change in how people view her as she has aged.
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Speaking to British Vogue, the actress confessed she hates the phrase, “you look good for your age,” questioning why we don’t say, “you look great – [full stop]’
Explaining: “It drives me bananas. I can’t stand it. That’s a habit of society that we have these markers like, ‘Well you’re at that stage, so for your age…’ I don’t even understand what it means.”
“I’m in better shape than I was in my twenties. I feel better in my mind, body, and spirit. It’s all 100 per cent better,” she added.
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And Jen has a point!
Realistically any compliment or praise is easily derailed by adding “ohh well for your [insert circumstance here.” It takes away actually merit by implying someone has a different set of standards to live up to, and can be insulting to the communities used as the marker.
In terms of aging it tends to imply someone only looks good when the standards are lower, and that other people of the same age group are less than.
Comments like this can also contribute to the villainisation of aging, as though there is something wrong with the process of getting older. A process that is completely naturally and normal.
Of course, aging isn’t the only situation where this occurs. As many marginalised groups experience this phenomenon and have their merits derailed by those implying the standard is somehow lower.
So maybe its time we follow Jen’s lead and end things with a “full stop.”