To think Catherine Zeta-Jones is an inspiration!

[Parisa5]

I was in the hairdressers yesterday and so provided with the obligatory copy of “Hello” magazine. Anyway, in it was CZJ and I just thought she looks fantastic. I’m 45 now, so the 50s are looming and I love seeing a woman like that who is 50, but more stunning than ever. I also think the same about Amanda Holden who I’ve met a few times and she’s another one who has improved with age. I know AH is not popular on MN, but why not? AIBU to think these two defy the myth that women should just let it all go as they get older?

I don’t think she is trying to look “younger” necessarily either

Are you serious?! Of course she is!

I don’t really understand why you started this thread as an AIBU? You’ve had pretty much unanimous responses that wealthy women who can afford surgical intervention in order to look a certain way are not ‘inspirational’, yet you’re doggedly banging on about how wonderful you find their surgically enhanced selves, so it doesn’t appear that you genuinely did want to ask whether YABU or not.

There is something a bit ‘off’ about the tone/pitch if your posts, and you are coming across as either a crap journalist or a pro-cosmetic surgery ad bot.

And actually, what did annoy me is that there was an article on her which started with something like. “CZJ looks ten years younger in blue, chiffon dress at x,y,z event”- because why can’t she just look great because she is 50, not despite it?

@MsTSwift Interesting reading about Bianca Jagger I was not aware of all of what was on there but some. Yes she is inspirational I agree.

OP I don't care much for AH because I don't think she has actually done anything that is inspirational. I can get past affairs unlike many others but she doe her job and uses PR well..

CZJ I don't actually know what she does these days I remember her from the darling buds of may mostly and the huge issues around her wedding with MD.. Again I feel she does her job and uses PR as she wants.

For me inspirational is not about looks and how you can use PR its about how you go about things. its about how you truly work hard to accomplish.. DD2 age 19 very dyslexic getting into study psychology at her 1st choice university for me is inspirational. She went for what she wanted worked hard for it and got it. Not in the public eye and not likely to ever be but for me way more inspirational than the two above.

This is not to say that I don't think actress/actors can be inspirational However I think I take a different type of inspiration to you for me it is females like

Susan Sarandon working yes looks amazing and very engaged both politcally and with civil rights

Helen Mirren working and looks amazing and not afraid to show she has more "unpopular" opinions (like her calling herself a naturist at heart)

Pauline Collins. working and looks wonderful (Im tired of using amazing ) and wasn't afraid to speak of her adopted child and how it effected her.

CZJ looks great I think. AH does not, to me, but probably does objectively (I just can't stand her for some reason)

Regardless of work they look good. Not sure if that's inspirational or not, but I wouldn't mind looking like either of them. I'm not inspired to go to the gym, or go to a local surgeon to achieve it however.

I think CZJ is inspirational in how honest she has been about her bipolar.

colourless - I think maybe you’re taking all this a bit too seriously. It’s just a comment.

I always think Amanda Holden looks amazing, but she is very plumped up and frozen looking. Catherine Zeta is a bit more natural looking. Op if you were saying that these women look great in your opinion then fine, but you are saying that they are inspiring because they look good, even though as pp said they look good because they have the money to get all the best treatments and surgery. How is that inspiring to the average women? Surely it just makes the rest of us look more shit because we can't afford it. And Helen Mirren has had work done but she hasn't gone for the frozen over lifted look. I would find it much more inspiring if they accepted aging and made the best of what they had without resorting to surgery. It always amazes me when you see an interview with actors and actresses of a similar (middle) age and the men are a bit craggy and the women are like dolls, it just reinforces the stereotype that women are worthwhile only for their looks. Simon Cowell is an exception, he is becoming scary looking, more Frankenstein looking every year.

colourless - I think maybe you’re taking all this a bit too seriously.

I’m struggling to take it seriously at all.

It’s one of the most vapid threads I’ve come across onMN.

Inspirational - really??

CZJ is incredibly fit, she was 30 when they filmed entrapment, obviously she has looked after her skin, kept off of the Pizza's, booze, and funny stuff. I would say 90% is her life style and fitness. Every day on the internet we get "You wont believe what so & so actor looks like now" and most of them have the same opportunities as KZJ. I just say to the negative posters, get out there, keep fit, cut down or stop alcohol, cut out saturated fat and sugar. Have a good life.

I can never pass an opportunity to post this - whenever I see CZJ mentioned, I can't help it
(Dawn French as CZJ)

why can’t she just look great because she is 50, not despite it?
You're just contradicting yourself now.

"Yes I did start a thread about two women - because seeing CZJ cheered me up for whatever reason and I was wondering if others felt the same. That’s all"

There's no shortage of gorgeous women in any group, so I guess your post was surprising. Also you implied some kind of view that women are thought of as "past it" - only by weirdos. I think there's enough pressure to look good! This thread seems like you think they are defying something?!

Anyway, if they cheer you up, you want to see J Lo on stage!

Well again, colourless, I would suggest that’s because you’re taking it all too seriously. If it’s too “vapid” for you though, go and search for a suitably high/brow thread? Or take a break from AIBU?

I find czj inspiring because she has the same mental health struggles as I do.

It doesn’t matter why someone is your inspiration, people on here have no right to say shitty things about it!

I thought you were going to tell us she'd done something exceptional. It's sad that looking good (and like you've had loads of surgery - she doesn't even resemble herself anymore) is seen as inspirational. No, she's not even slightly inspirational. She's a sad Hollywood has-been, desperate to hold on to her youth and beauty and looking very fake and plastic in the process.

If looks could be considered inspirational, I'd be more inclined to think in this day and age it's more inspirational to just age naturally. Especially when you're rich and famous and people expect you to get work done and 'preserve' yourself. Now that's going against the grain.

You know, I clicked on this thread thinking she has actually done something truly inspirational. Something philanthropic or advancing girl’s rights or something.

But no, turns out she looks good in a dress. Never mind.

Pretty sure they're rumoured to be steaming drunk a lot of the time and fighting on the front lawn with each other, basically like she's still in the Valleys.

Wouldn't call that someone to be inspired by tbh.

Well, Catherine used to a stunner when she was young. I thought she was beautiful. Then she went to America and had those awful ops and she lost 'it' like the chinks around her eyes when she smiled. My mum said the same. She looks like any other actress now.

AutumnRose - yes!!! I love J Lo as well, on or off stage. And I agree that there’s no shortage of gorgeous women everywhere. I’m 45 and I feel better than when I was 35 tbh (because then I was in the toddler zone), yet despite this, there does seem to be this insinuation in society that I should accept the fact I’m “past it”, or not be interested in how I look any more. Well, I can see the virtue in all that, and it’s all well and good, but nevertheless, I still love to see women who are older than me looking amazing. So shoot me!

SchadenfreudePersonified

I think what made Anneka look great was the fact she didn't take herself too seriously and was a bit goofy, but not in a contrived way. She was always very beautiful in the 80's though and she just has fantastic genes, but then many celebrities do, and they still inject their faces needlessly.

Without wanting to get into a political conversation, I also have a bit of a girl crush on Heidi Allen. I just think she's beautiful and although she's a fair number of years from 50, I think she will still look great then. I'm pretty sure she hasn't had any work done.

🎶Keep young and beautiful, it's your duty to be beautiful, Keep young and beautiful, If you want to be loved.🎶.Yes CZJ is very beautiful, wish I looked like her but I started off with a very different face. Inspirational? Well she could give you an idea what you would like to look like but perhaps doctors, some politicians, teachers or just people who keep positive and look after their families are more of an inspiration.

If looks could be considered inspirational, I'd be more inclined to think in this day and age it's more inspirational to just age naturally

Totally agree. To be honest, I'm not much inspired by any actor whether they've had work done or not. There's far more inspirational women out there, apart from Hollywood slebs.

If you're past it at 45 OP, I'm one foot in the grave as I am two decades older than you.
It's all about mindset.