Millie Bobby Brown shows courage in exposing how much we hate ageing

If young women are made to feel bad about age then what hope do older women have?

It feels like this week there has been a lot of debate about women and the way they age. No scratch that, it’s every week right? I read an article by Lisa Armstrong about how celebrating older actresses in Hollywood (at the Oscars) who clearly look twenty years younger, is not celebrating age at all. How we are only comfortable looking at older women who look much younger and so we aren’t championing growing old at all. Actor Millie Bobby Brown also posted an Instagram video asking the media to treat young women in the public sphere with respect. In the video, she named several journalists who she said were guilty of bullying and writing harmful articles about her appearance. Brown is 21 years old. SHE IS ALREADY BEING JUDGED FOR THE WAY THAT SHE AGES! She is already being called ‘TOO OLD’! Where are we going with these dark narratives around ageing? Do we start to say that babies are wrinkled and start introduce retinol into their skincare routines? Do we face-shame toddlers for frowning, saying they look too grumpy, and need to have preventative Botox as soon as possible?