Naomi Watts does not want to reverse the clock. The 57-year-old celebrated actress has not been silent on the issue of plastic surgery, beauty, and the weight women tend to experience to look much younger than their age. Her text is a very basic but a strong one: she has nothing to desire to hunt her 25-year-old face. She is instead opting to embrace acceptance, confidence and more truthful relationship with old age.
Watts had to look back at a closer comment in a recent interview with Bustle about her current perception of beauty and health in comparison. The beginning of her fifties was a turning point. Similar to most women, she has been brought up in an industry that glorifies youth with almost fanatic passion. Hollywood has always been the place where smooth skin and tight jawlines are used as a cash. But over time and experience, Watts was able to re-evaluate her priorities to what is important. One of the most liberating things that she acknowledged to have discovered during the last ten years was forgetting the urge to look the way she did.
That change did not occur overnight. Aging is a special form of scrutiny in society. Each appearance in red carpet is photographed, every close-up is analyzed. In the case of actresses, the topics regarding cosmetic procedures are nearly indispensable. But Watts has not allowed himself to be corrupted into a single concept of youth. I believe that when a person reaches a certain age, he or she knows what works and he or she simply maintains it. I do not want to be 25 anymore or be like a person who is struggling to be 25, she said. The quote goes beyond a personal decision, it is a silent protest against unrealistic demands.
The fact that she is honest in a world where cosmetic improvements are becoming common and even are discussed openly is commendable. The non-invasive therapies, injectables and surgery have become the mainstream culture of beauty. To others, they provide a sense of empowerment and confidence. In other individuals they make a comparison and discontent cycle. Watts does not preach against plastic surgery and neither does she put herself in the morally superior position by not participating. Rather, she talks out of her comfort. To this end, I wish that the rest of the world around me will be able to bear my slopping jowls, just at this time I am not in the mood to be subjected to an operation. There is a tincture of humor in the line, but it is also the indication of a deeper truth; aging is a visible thing, and she is declaring her readiness to embrace this.
Her worldview is also related closely to her business, Stripes Beauty, a holistic brand aimed at helping women to follow their midlife transitions. The company dwells on the problems that are mostly neglected during a regular beauty discussion such as menopause and hormonal changes. Having developed a brand focusing on the experience of aging women by focusing on their real lives, Watts has not only talked about self-acceptance but she has created a platform around it. Such a move is an indication of professionalism and experience. She does not provide fast-fix solutions, but instead, she focuses on attention, moderation, and the knowledge of natural transitions of the body.
To a large extent, her position seems to be mature and not rebellious. She has stated that since she has reached her late fifties, she has become more confident about what is appropriate to her. The desperate experimentation which in many ways is characteristic of youth has been replaced by more regular habits. She is aware of the skincare products that her skin reacts well to, the types of hairstyles that suit her, and the habits which make her feel powerful. Such clarity is usually attained after decades of trial and error. It carries a faint sense of belief in the fact that it is possible not to reinvent oneself to stay relevant.
Her outlook has also been contributed by her personal life. Watts has mentioned that she has been able to find some room to herself as her children have become more self-reliant. Evening rituals have gained more significance not as a vain activity but a time of relaxation. In such a way, beauty is not about the looks, but rather about the nurturing. This reframing opposes the belief that the beauty routines are superficial. They can symbolize self-respect and renewal to a large number of women particularly in the midlife.
The thing that makes her remarks ring is that they are relatable. Beyond the celebrity culture, there are myriads of women who are struggling with the conflict between social norms and their comfort. Social media filters, anti-aging movements and changes in celebrities can make people believe that age should be avoided at any cost. Watts presents a counter-story. The time is not trying to take its toll out of her face. She is coming to perceive it differently.
It is also a wider cultural change that is occurring. The discourse on aging is becoming subtle. Youth may always be somehow alluring in terms of entertainment, but there is an increasing interest in authenticity. Viewers are favoring transparentness over excellence. It is something that we can allow ourselves to rethink our own expectations when a famous actress says that she does not want to appear like the person who is struggling to appear 25.
Meanwhile, her decision points to the multifacetedness of the problem. Cosmetic surgeries and plastic surgeries are extremely personal matters. In other people, they are able to enhance confidence or rectify aspects that have always made them feel insecure. To other people, they can be unnecessary or even obtrusive. The stand of Watts does not strike out either view. Rather, it focuses on independence. She has merely made a decision that at this point in her life that doing the surgery is not in line with her identity.
Her simplicity points to weakness as well. It takes strength to admit that we have drooping jowls in the tightening and contouring cultured world. Quietly following procedures is better than visibly adopting natural change. Her verbal expression breaks the social construct that getting old should be hidden. She reminding us that lines, and sagging skin are not failures but an indication of the time lived.
After all, the thoughts that Naomi Watts expresses concerning plastic surgery are not about rejecting it, but rather about accepting it. She does not attempt to immobilize herself in another decade. She is letting her self develop. By so doing, she questions the limited concept of beauty that has had the limelight.
