It’s undeniable that Hollywood and the entertainment industry favor youth, especially if you are a woman. Men aren’t immune to the youth bias, but their shelf-life is deemed longer because on top of ageism there is sexism. And, of course, it’s not just Hollywood and the entertainment industry that seems to treat aging like it were a disease instead of part of the natural order of things. Ageism is on display throughout society and we are all affected, but imagine what it must be like for celebrities who live their lives in the public eye. Is it any wonder that some celebrities go out of their way to show no signs of aging?
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Surely the pressure to appear as young as possible for as long as possible has something to do with the lengths some celebs will go to combat being seen as or treated as if they are irrelevant because they've dared to get older. But if a celebrity does do something to decrease the signs of aging, they get criticized for “not aging gracefully.” It’s a no-win situation, really.
In a perfect world, we would appreciate and celebrate every age and every stage of life equally. A person’s perceived value or beauty would not be seen as diminishing as they got older. But we don’t live in that world. We live in a world where words and phrases like “anti-aging,” “over the hill,” “past their prime,” and “acabada” are pretty common. It sucks for all of us because if we live long enough, we’re all going to have to deal with ageism. With all this in mind, I challenge us all to start changing our attitudes toward getting older and stop criticizing each other for how we choose to deal with the aging process.
Some of the following celebrities have received so much criticism for how they’ve aged or tried to counteract the effects of aging and it's petty. How about we focus on their talents and dedication to their crafts more? It’s OK to notice when someone has done a little or a lot of something to themselves as they age, but it’s not OK to bash them for it.
Madonna is all about reinvention.
Madonna started her solo singing career in 1981 and by 1991 she had 21 Top 10 hits to her name. In the over 40 years that she has been creating music, she has reinvented herself over and over. She has changed her style and the way she presents herself publicly too many times to count.
Now, in her 60s, she's as fit as ever.
She has always been fit and seemingly gets fitter with age. Her face is constantly scrutinized as people try to figure out what procedures she's had. Does it really matter, though? Madonna is a living icon and that's all there is to it.
In 2005, Ivy Queen had already been performing for 10 years.
She has a few other nicknames including: La Diva, La Caballota, or The Queen. She’s earned them over the more than 20 years that she’s been performing and making music. She earned the nickname “First Lady” of reggaeton because for a while she was the only woman in that scene. This image of her was taken at the 2005 Latin Billboard Music Awards Bash at Bargain G's in Miami, Florida.
Nowadays, The Queen is looking and acting regal.
In 2021, a very unkind person posted a side-by-side comparison of the Puerto Rican artist intended to insult and criticize. Ivy was not having it and reposted the meme and wrote:
To the Clown who made me this meme:
No one deserves to have their transformation turned into a joke and teasing! No one should incite ridicule and insults to gain attention and followers on social media. I covered up your name because while you get shares from emotional parasites compatible with your emotional rot, I proudly post the same meme. Because the best decision of my life was to LOVE myself, to become a mother, to stop smoking cigarettes, to go to dermatologists, to aesthetic clinics, to seek help from professionals and to take control of my life.
Her response is so self-assured and wonderful.
Luis Miguel looked like this when he was in his 30s.
Keep in mind that he started singing professionally when he was 12, so by the time he was in his 30s, he had been in the industry for quite some time. He certainly was very photogenic and his eyes really pop in this picture.
This is him at the end of 2017, in the video of his song 'La feria del mariachi.'
At this point in his career, people are claiming he's had Botox, fillers, maybe some plastic surgery. Only he and his doctors would know that and honestly, who cares?! Instead can we talk about how he has been able to sustain a career for as long as he has. That is a huge accomplishment.
María Conchita Alonso left Venezuela for a career in Hollywood.
Did you know that she was actually born in Cienfuegos, Cuba, but raised in Caracas, Venezuela? She competed in several beauty pageants and was crowned Miss World Teenager in 1971 and was first runner up of the Miss Venezuela competition in 1975. In the 1980s, she moved to the United States to expand her acting and singing careers.
She's still living her best life.
The Cuban Venezuelan entertainer is now in her 60s and still appears to be living her best life. Her creativity and zest for life have not diminished, but instead of focusing on that many would rather try and figure out what possible injectables she might be using?
Maribel Guardia was Miss Costa Rica in 1978.
Since then, she has been in more than 50 telenovelas, TV series, and movies, all in Mexico, where she moved soon after. Fans were smitten by her beauty. You couldn't think of her without picturing her long black hair and fit figure.
You still can't think of her without her long black hair and fit figure.
Maribel is now in her 60s and she's still got the long hair and fit physique. She's defying everyone's expectations of what a woman in her 60s should look like. Not just because she is so dang fit, which must take a lot of work, but because she's not listening to that silly rule that after a certain age women should not have long hair.
Laura Bozzo has always been controversial.
She started in Peru with political talk shows, which some will say were like the Latino version of The Jerry Springer Show. One could argue that she was a more entertaining host than Jerry Springer. When Telemundo picked up her show Laura in America, she became a household name in the US during the late 1990s and 2000s.
Nowadays, Laura Bozzo has evolved both her hairstyle and attire.
Her face gets constantly scrutinized as folks try to guess what she's had "done." Let's shift the focus and admire her adorable bob and killer style. She was born in 1952 and is entering her 70s with vim and vigor.
Lucía Méndez was once said to have the most beautiful face in Mexico.
Lucía Méndez started her career in telenovelas after winning a contest to find the most beautiful face in Mexico by a prominent Mexican newspaper in 1974. She became a telenovela star and singer.
She has been in the public eye for decades.
Now, in her late 60s, Lucía is constantly criticized for her appearance with people saying that she's constantly getting plastic surgery. It must be exhausting for her to have to deal with the commentary. "It's a lie, I mean, you can't be having surgery all the time, because it would be totally noticeable, and I think that in some form or another, people see me as I am, I'm not saying that I don't get Botox, I am not saying that I don't have treatments with tools, but it is a lie that I'm always having surgery or in the operating room," she said in an interview.
Gaby Spanic is known for what many consider a sweet, angelic face.
That sweet demeanor definitely helped make her successful. Especially when she was playing a villain. She played twins in one of the most popular telenovelas of all time, La Usurpadora in 1988.
Rumors that the Venezuelan entertainer had plastic surgery circulated for years.
People are vicious and insisted that she looked puffy and had somehow altered her face, but up until August 2021, Gaby insisted that other than taking care of herself, she hadn't had any plastic surgery. In December of that same year, she was very candid about undergoing some plastic surgery treatments and even shared video from her doctor's office. She's happy with the results and that's really all that matters.
Angélica María is Mexico's sweetheart.
Known as "la novia de Mexico," grew up in front of the camera. She was actually born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and moved to Mexico when she was 4. She started acting in films when she was 5. She has been in over 25 novelas.
Sadly, even Mexico’s sweetheart gets criticized for aging.
The woman is in her 70s and she seems happy and confident. Can that be enough, please? On May 25, 2016, she was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame after more than six decades of performing.
Verónica Castro is considered one of the most beautiful Mexican actresses of all time.
She also happens to be Cristian Castro's mom,. She started her career acting on TV and she recorded albums as well, but her career really took off in 1979 when she was on the telenovela Los ricos también lloran," which was a huge success around the world.
She is now in her 70s and thriving.
For years, she would get criticized for supposedly trying "too hard" to look young, but she was just being herself and not playing by other's rules. Now, she is rocking her gray hair and says she likes her wrinkles. Her famous eyes are still full of joy and artistically she is flourishing. If you haven't seen her in House of Flowers on Netflix, get on it because she's wonderful.
Camilo Sesto was known as 'El Rey del Amor.'
He had that whole '70s cool guy vibe going on in this picture. He was a big-time romantic singer that made many swoon because of his beautiful voice and looks. The Spanish singer sold millions of records and had over 50 No. 1 hits.
Take a look at Camilo Sesto's face later in life.
He died on September 8, 2019. In his later years there was much speculation about what he had done to maintain a youthful appearance. Again, who cares? Its his work and talent that we should focus on.
