Laura Dern has spoken candidly about the growing pressure on women to resist aging in Hollywood.
Speaking to The Independent, the actress, who is the daughter of Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd, said she has “never seen more shame around aging” than she does today, especially for women in the public eye.
“Lately, I have never seen more shame around aging and women as public figures, and it’s just so tragic,” Dern said.
Reflecting on her close friendship with Sheryl Crow, Dern praised the singer’s confidence and presence, insisting that age has only made her more powerful.
“She’s more bad*** than ever. She sounds better. She’s hotter than ever! And yet, [we’re still hearing] this old story of needing to hide, or fix all the stuff that shows our wisdom,” she added.
Dern also recalled overhearing conversations about aging in the film industry that highlight how the pressure has intensified across generations.
“It’s so much worse now than for my mother’s generation. I remember, when I was a child, hearing her friends talk about the pressure at 70 to get a facelift if you wanted to keep working.
“But now I’m hearing my 21-year-old daughter’s friends say, ‘You should get Botox now so that you’re never wrinkled.’”
She explained, “The idea that we’re advancing in empowerment is bat****. And these are societal norms that have been created, most of the time, from people’s fears and insecurities. And it’s all consumerism, right?”
“It’s like the tobacco industry saying smoking looks cool. Look at the Marlboro Man! They’re just making money. They’re saying we’ll have a whole generation of girls buying our products if we say it’s ‘preventative’. But we’re supposed to be the ones to not buy into it, right?”
