"It almost feels as if people don't want us to be perfectly OK with where we are as if they almost enjoy us being pained by who we are today," she added.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on November 9, 2021. It has since been updated.
It's only natural for people to get older, and when they do, their appearance changes, too. They lose their hair, some of which turns grey, they notice a lot more wrinkles, and it's nothing out of the ordinary. Honestly, the same rules apply to celebrities, but they spend a ton of money to maintain their looks, and it's mostly because they're aware of the fact that not all their fans can come to terms with the fact that they're getting older.
Actor Sarah Jessica Parker is no exception to criticism, and she says she and her former Sex and the City co-stars —who are currently in production on a spinoff series, And Just Like That—have received some negative comments over how their physical appearances have changed as they've gotten older.
"There's so much misogynist chatter in response to us that would never. Happen. About. A. Man.," Parker tells Vogue. "'Gray hair, gray hair, gray hair. Does she have gray hair?'"
In July 2021, Parker, when out with a few of her friends, displayed her natural gray roots. She addressed the frenzy that followed, saying, "I'm sitting with Andy Cohen, and he has a full head of gray hair, and he's exquisite. Why is it OK for him? I don't know what to tell you people!"
She then added that the pressure to look good all the time has only increased, thanks to the presence of social media. "It almost feels as if people don't want us to be perfectly OK with where we are as if they almost enjoy us being pained by who we are today, whether we choose to age naturally and not look perfect, or whether you do something if that makes you feel better," she said.
"I know what I look like. I have no choice," she added. "What am I going to do about it? Stop aging? Disappear?"
The pressure to look their absolute best all the time is just not on Parker, as even Salma Hayek spoke about it in a 2015 interview with The Guardian. "The amount of pressure on women now, it’s crazy. You have to be much better than your male colleagues, just so you can maybe try and get the same salary as them. And you still have to be a good wife and mother. And now you also have to be skinny, and you have to look 20 when you’re 40. It’s too much. We need to stop with the crazy expectations, give ourselves a break."
References:
https://www.vogue.com/article/sarah-jessica-parker-cover-december-2021
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Pascal Le Segretain