Vivica Fox has faced criticism for her changing appearance over decades-long career in Hollywood.
Industry expectations for women to maintain youthful looks can be mentally and emotionally damaging.
Vivica proudly celebrates the ‘blessing’ of aging and encourages women to embrace their natural beauty.
Vivica (Still A. Stone Cold) Fox is defiantly detailing the pressure celebrity women face to remain frozen in time physically while aging in reality. “Sometimes people don’t allow you the grace to age, to be normal, to live a little bit, to have children, to look a little bit more mature, to age,” said the iconic actress.
It’s hard to believe that Vivica has been gracing our TV and movie screens for over three decades but from starring in action movies (hello, Kill Bill Vol. 1 &2!), to breaking our hearts in cultural classics like Set It Off and showing us all how to get what we want in romcoms like Two Can Play That Game, she has been part of some people’s entire lifetime of entertainment. Her latest turn in Is God Is is receiving critical acclaim, but also has given people ammunition to, once again, pick apart the physical appearance of a woman.
Aging as a woman in society is hard enough, but aging in an industry run on youth and beauty takes the struggle to another level. In an interview with Yahoo Entertainment, Fox got real about the pressure to live up to her 20-year-old self and how she handles the unfair scrutiny.
“I’m a woman of a certain age and life changes, the body changes, and you’re not gonna be the same size that you were when you were 19, 20 years old,” she said. “But people forget that sometimes, and they can say very mean things to you. But I have to remember: I’m a woman, and I am comfortable in the skin I’m in, flaws and all.”
She continued,
“I’m in a business where you get judged by your looks constantly, especially if you were a hot chick and stuff like that. Sometimes people don’t allow you the grace to age, to be normal, to live a little bit, to have children, to look a little bit more mature, to age. To age is a blessing and a beautiful thing. And so, if you don’t listen to the chatterbox and stay true to who you are and love who you are, you know, it can destroy you. It really can.”
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Women have always been subjected to an abnormal amount of cruelty around their bodies, and in the age of plastic surgery, the expectations are nearly insurmountable. Those old enough to remember may recall that our girl Viv also caught slack when she decided to freshen things up a bit in her younger years, with many criticizing her decision to have work done.
Despite the pressure mounted against her, Vivica Fox has stood the test of time. With over 300 TV and film credits to her name, she has proven that no matter her age, appearance, or society’s expectations, she is and always will be that girl.
