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Women are rallying in defence of Oscar-winning actor Zeta-Jones after she was targeted by scrutiny online about her appearance at a recent red carpet function.

She appeared at a Netflix event in Hollywood last month where a TikTok interview about her part in the latest Wednesday was eclipsed due to discussion about her looks.

A Chorus of Defence

Laura White, 58, labelled the online criticism "complete nonsense", noting that "males escape this expiration date imposed on women".

"Men are free from this sell-by/use-by date imposed on women," argued Laura White.

Writer and commentator Sali Hughes, 50, stated unlike men, females are unfairly judged as they age and Zeta-Jones should be at liberty to appear however she liked.

The Social Media Storm

Within the clip, uploaded to social media and garnered more than 2.5m views, Zeta-Jones, who is from Wales, talked about how much she enjoyed delving into her role, the Addams Family matriarch, in season two.

However many of the numerous remarks focused on her age and were disparaging towards her looks.

The online backlash sparked widespread defence for the actor, featuring a popular post from one Facebook user which said: "You bully women if they undergo too much work done and attack them when they don't have enough."

Others also rallied in support, as one put it: "This is ageing naturally and she appears beautiful."

Some called her as "beautiful" and "very attractive", while someone else said that "she looks her age - that's called the natural process."

Challenging Perceptions

The winner attended for her interview recently makeup-free to make a statement and to highlight that there is no fixed "mold" of how a female in midlife should look like.

As with others in her demographic, she explained she "looks after herself" not to appear younger but in order to feel "better" and be "healthy".

"Growing older is a privilege and when we live as well as possible, this is what is important," she added.

Ms White stated that men were not held to identical appearance ideals, adding "no-one questions how old famous men might be - they only look 'fantastic'."

Ms White noted this was part of the motivation for entering the pageant's division for women over 45, to prove that women in midlife continue to exist" and "retain their appeal".

Unfair Scrutiny

The author, a journalist of Welsh origin, stated that while the actor is "gorgeous" that is "irrelevant", stating further she ought to be able to appear in any way she chooses without her age being scrutinised.

She said the social media vitriol demonstrated no woman was "immune" and that females should not face the "ongoing theme" that they are lacking or young enough - a problem that is "galling, regardless of who the victim is".

Questioned on whether men experience equivalent judgment, she answered "not at all", adding women were attacked merely for having the "nerve" to live on social media while aging.

An Impossible Standard

Even with the wellness sector promoting "youthful longevity", the author stated women were still face criticism whether they aged without intervention or opted for procedures including cosmetic surgery or injections.

"If you age gracefully, commenters state you should do more; if you undergo work done, you're accused of not aging gracefully enough," she remarked further.