as a result of natural aging.

with a part of her body or her aging process and if she has the means and the desire to make herself feel better when looking in the mirror then she should just get it done. Especially women who are in the spotlight, if they are uncomfortable it shows and in some cases can reflect in their manner of conversation. Many women are fine with aging and you can see them age very gracefully and confidently. As long as it is not something done to fit some fantasy driven fad I have no problem with it. If it is because of one of those fads I just feel sorry for them but still, it is not for me to criticize but have to admit to having my own little personal problem with it.

I would love to fix my ever wobbly neck! Will I? Dunno. I could care less what anyone else thinks about it but it torques me every time I look in the mirror. Arms not so much, graying hair is wonderful, wrinkles are coming but do not bother me but that damned neck! LOL, the chance that I would actually do that is pretty small but I can't say that I won't. It really really bothers me. lol

The moment of truth is tough. But, I like being looked at for who I am and not how I look. So my aging face brings me a lot of freedom. I can say hello to men who are perfect strangers without being afraid of being ogled or bothered. That is wonderful.

Maybe some women like to have that intrusion on your privacy when you are stared at. Yuck!

I too was very distracted by Ms Thomas' face. Both she and Ms. Steinam are about the same age (76 or so). But as a child of Hollywood, Marlo has fallen for that odd pseudo young image which looks ridiculous. Natural beauty is best. It's what is in our hearts and minds is what counts as beauty.

I'm sorry...I like them both, but NO one looks that "young"

at those ages without surgery.

I thought Gloria looked good, although she HAS had work, no question,

but I thought Marlo looked particularly ridiculous...The woman

is SEVENTY FIVE and she's so "overdone" that she not only looks

literally, half her age, she looks like someone ELSE....I swear,

when I first saw her, I honestly did NOT recognize her.

When Chris, in his introduction, mentioned Gloria as the co-founder of Ms., along with

another name I didn't recognize, then introduced Marlo, I saw her

and thought "No, that's not Marlo Thomas..That's someone else,

-- must be that other woman who co-founded Ms" -- Seriously.

As a feminist, I'm not a "purist" about cosmetic surgery -- I'm 63

and not happy about looking older either, but please,

going back TWO generations is just silly.

Gloria Steinem looked.... I am not being critical of Ms Thomas, it is her choice and if she'd had a better plastic surgeon I would be very happy for her.

Gloria Steinem is an unusually attractive woman, but so was Marlo Thomas.
Of course the plastic surgery in no way diminishes Thomas' life-long activism for women's rights.

media where her ideas became famous before her face did. Thomas is from the visual media where her looks were an entree into a position where her ideas would be heard and noticed.

I don't really have an opinion about what another person does "plastic surgery-wise" except this: the lips! That lip plumping thing has never looked human on anyone in the entire history of lip plumping! You gotta know that before you go into it!

that looks good on everyone, and I don't think it worked for her at all.

But I'd need surgery to sit next to Gloria Steinem too.

Perhaps its more acceptable in some places to look like you've had work instead of looking like you had aged. The need might come down to genetics. We age at different rates. In any case, I'm still saving up for a neck tuck.

to not age. It's too bad when they succumb to the pressure, but it's also understandable IMO.

It makes me glad I'm not in Hollywood. She faces judgement either way. I suppose all women do.

Edit: not intended as a negative response to your post. Just lamenting the pressure she's facing.

I often wonder how that botox and surgery impedes their ability to act. They lose the ability to use the muscles in their face and show the full range of facial expression.

Her face was surgically altered before she ever appeared on "That Girl."

IMHO, having the freedom to make a choice about whether or not to have cosmetic procedures is part of feminism. We should be able to make decisions about our own bodies, no matter what part of the body we're talking about.

Those decisions do not always lead to a better appearance in our eyes, but if it makes the woman (or man) feel better, well then, that's their right.

Sometimes it gets a little tough to accept those "character lines" and other signs of aging....I just wish the remedies didn't sometimes make people look like a completely different character.

Was it a nose job? I know her father had a large, ethnic nose. I believe their ethnic origins are Lebanese.

I suppose it is really about bad cosmetic surgery because that's the kind that is distracting. It's not for me to judge others' decisions.

If you google pictures of Marlo as a youngster with her dad, you'll be able to see the difference.

I also loved "That Girl". It really was one of the first shows about a woman having options in life. She was a wonderful mix of smart, funny, and gorgeous!

Fantastic show. I still love it when I see it. It's how much one remembers positive images of women in the media, probably because there were so few.

Other than the fact that if a women doesn't maintain some level of attractiveness, she is considered a little less human and is subject to some vile attacks. I hate that.


Pity what's aesthetically pleasing has to be so gendered. Old men and old women look much alike in a way. Beyond gender, ageism itself limits people. I think people sometimes aren't trying to maintain artificial beauty, as trying to stay relevant by not looking old. This, of course is harder for women than a man, but affects either sex.