I can't believe Liz Truss is 47..

[AirborneSnail]

Following on from a thread yesterday, I guessed Liz was 56. I was shocked to hear she's a decade younger. I guess I am being unreasonable. It was probably the photo of her having a meeting wearing comfy trainers that did it. How old would you have guessed she was?

I think she looks about her age! Although that job would age anyone, including the men.

This

I knew she was in her 40s. I'm 42 and still feel like I'm a clueless teenager who's winging it through life. I can't fathom the idea that someone only 5 years older than me has their shit together enough to run the country.

Well, sadly Liz hasn't managed to get her shit together enough to run the country successfully. I don't think that's down to her age though.

You're right there.

Realityloom
Exactly OP is being bitchy!

I disagree. Male PMs, MPs, politicians and presidents have all been objectified. Dishy Rishy, President Macron, Dominic Rasb, comments about Boris's weight, hair, male politicians teeth, body ...

I agree. The I've never seen the like of the criticism Boris received on his body and appearance. Have a quick look at Guardian cartoon caricatures of him also.

Liz does look a good 10 years older than her actual age. I don't think the hair helps.

She's making concious style choices that are partly to represent her political vision (imitating Thatcher, who incidentally also crafted her self including voice coaching to get herself to the top in a more hostile world than this is) and probably happy to present as older to some extent in an attempt to create gravitas, particularly having targeted the older core of Conservative membership. She is younger than average to become Prime Minister.

Her policies stink, but her style is not wholly irrelevant and she has used style and presentation to achieve being a third female Prime Minister at a younger age by modelling herself on the first. She's also not sufficiently confident in herself to have a more personal or neutral style.

Male politicians also attract comment on their style and presentation. Jacob Rees Mogg, Jeremy Corbyn. Again, how they present theirselves reflects their values and vision of politics. Jeremy Corbyn's choice of coat at the Centotaph can be seen in two ways, 1) reflecting that it's actions not style and not being frivolous to buy a smart coat when you have a function coat already, or 2) that he was not prepared to play the rules of the game of politics, and standing out from being scruffy detracted focus from the purpose of the event. The media focused on 2 as did a lot of the electorate.

Style is fair game for comment. It's a choice that can indicate people's values and politicians know that and play it to their strengths/ vision.
Style is different to the physical features of a person that can not be changed.

Give over. It's 2022. Had hoped we were above this.

misogynistic thread

Running round the park in her work-out stuff she'd probably look much younger. She has a certain 'older woman' gravitas because of the way she has her hair, makeup and how she dresses. I grew up thinking Thatcher was ancient, but she was only 53 when she became PM.

We do: Boris's hair was very much up for discussion. I think she looks exhausted most of the time, she probably is. She dresses very old though. She wears stuff my mum in her 70s would not wear.

It's not her age that's the issue, or her (rate of) ageing. It's her policies and contempt for most of humanity that I have a problem with...

Mid to late 40s was my guess from the way she looks if i didnt know who she was, so her age (im very good at guessing ages - on natural people). I'd assume she was older because of her job and the fact she has children so taking time out even if just mat leave could put her back a few years. Comparing a woman who is aging naturally with "celebs" who inject shit into their faces etc is unfair. I don't like anything the woman does or stands for but you are comparing apples and oranges if you are guessing her age based on the beauty standards where celebs need to look 25 at 50.

She looks years older than Penny Mordaunt though, who is 49.

I was going to ask if we do this to male prime ministers too and deleted the comment as borris took a lot of stick about his appearance, so yes we do it no matter what sex the prime minister happens to be!

This! Jesus Christ! She’s in a professional job, her looks are fuck all to do with her profession.

Yep. Despite posters saying it’s just the same for men, I can’t recall threads like this one picking apart how old Boris or David Cameron look for their age.

The age one angle is especially insidious because it has us all measuring ourselves up against the subject. As we see here from the usual ‘Well, I’m 58 and she looks a good deal older than me and all of my friends.’ comments that pop up on all the guess-my-age threads. Men in the public eye have looks and style commented on - women get their looks and style dissected in far greater detail.

I wouldn't blame men for this behaviour...

I have reported this thread as misogynistic and ageist.

Bullshit. It’s ageist to say someone looks old? No it’s an observation. It would be ageist for someone to say ‘no way could she be a good PM she’s so old!’ Which no one is saying.

It’s also not misogynistic just because she is a woman. There is literally no double standard or contempt for Truss on this thread due to her sex.

Oh come on! Boris relished and cultivated the floppy haired fop thing as part of an entire eccentric bumbling personality. That’s nothing like spiteful comments on a woman for daring to age ‘badly’.

I'm guessing she picks her own clothes, more or less, in the same way that Boris did his hair. Stupid man, what did he think he looked like? He had such delusions.

Look what the press did to Ed Milliband or Neil Kinnock.

If I saw her in the street I'd guess late 40s to early 50s.

She doesn't look like she books regular Botox or endless plastic surgery, but I don't see why anyone would.
She's just aging fairly gracefully.

I hate her politics for the most part, I dislike her dress sense & don't think it suits her or does her any favours, but she just looks like a normal looking woman of her age to me & I don't see what's so wrong with that.

I wonder what guesses she would get if she posted an 'how old do I look' thread on here.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2019/jul/27/boris-johnson-britain-trump-cartoon?CMP=ShareiOSAppp_Other

Boris' appearance was torn apart frequently, and his ageing. This is a typical Guardian cartoon depiction. It definitely wasn't just about his untidy hair, which is probably his best feature.

Her policies are catastrophic.
She is shallow and changes her views on a whim wherever it will improve her personal lot.
Dreadful politics.
Her age is entirely irrelevant.