Well, now that Amanda Bynes is in treatment, it was only a matter of time before the miserable trolls on social media found another woman in Hollywood to make fun of. Hey, Renée Zellweger- tag, you’re it!
Renée Zellweger holds a very special place in my heart, because Chicago is one of my favorite movies of all time. After I saw the movie in theaters I performed the soundtrack alone in my room over and over, because that is what friendless ten-year-olds do. Then that summer I went away to sleepaway camp for the first time, and was so homesick I actually thought I was dying. But then the theme of the “break out” of color war was Chicago, and I will never forget the relief that washed over me that morning when I heard Renée Zellweger singing over the loudspeaker instead of the usual bugle.
When I first saw that Renée Zellweger had plastic surgery, I really didn’t think anything of it. We all may feel like we know her in some personal way- maybe through Chicago like me, or Bridget Jones’s Diary, or Jerry Maguire– but the fact is that we don’t know her at all. How do I know what prompted her plastic surgery? I have no idea what personal battles she may or may not be fighting. Once my twitter feed was flooded with jokes about Renée Zellweger’s “new face”, I looked closer at her post-surgery picture and I honestly think she is still just as beautiful as ever. She looks different, but why is “different” automatically negative? The goal of plastic surgery is to look different; if you walked out of a procedure looking exactly the same that would be a problem…
Bottom line: the absurd public outcry about Renée Zellweger’s plastic surgery has nothing to do with plastic surgery; it has to do with how society shames women over 40 for simply being over 40. According to ASPS statistics, 6.1 million Botox injections are performed each year. Most of these injections are performed on women over 40 who are not celebrities, but still feel the societal pressure to conceal their age. Renée Zellweger walks on red carpets, is on the cover of magazines, and has her picture taken walking out of Starbucks. Not to mention, the minute an actress starts looking older in Hollywood the roles available to her start dwindling. Renée Zellweger is 45 years old, successful, and has the means and desire to spruce up her appearance. You go Roxy Hart. Give ‘em the old razzle dazzle.
P.S.: Kudos to the super brave men and women hiding behind their computer screens shaming an Oscar award-winning actress for getting plastic surgery. I’m sure she really cares what you all have to say. Renée simply responded by saying, “I’m glad folks think I look different”. Then Renée looked in the mirror, smiled, and started dancing to the Chicago soundtrack.
Once Upon a Time Dating 