What Meryl Streep Can Teach Us about BEAUTY #atozchallenge
*Language Alert: This post contains some explicit language. If you are among the faint at heart or sensitive to certain words, consider this advance notice.
Hot chicks can’t act, according to popular YouTuber SkyyJohn, who names Meryl Streep as an example – suggesting “nobody wants to bang her, but look at how good of an actress she is!” -- In one of his vlog episodes.
I won’t argue in support of SkyyJohn’s claim or against it, for I’m not interested in banging Meryl Streep – I’d take Eric Dane a.k.a McSteamy, thank you very much. However, there are valuable lessons we can all learn from this actress, regarding how we measure ourselves on the beauty scale.
Lesson #1 - People tend to look their Best when they are Comfortable in their own Skin.
Streep, who didn’t have any confidence in her beauty when she was young, believed that character acting was where her strengths lie. She even once apologized to an Italian movie producer for “disappointing” him by not being a conventional beauty. The producer insulted Streep – calling her an ugly pig when she auditioned for a role in the 1976 “King Kong” remake.
Yet today in her 60s, this Oscar-winning actress has not resorted to plastic surgery or cosmetic procedures to try and extend the “sell-by” date of her career. Streep views these desperate measures as an interruption in communication between you and the people you are interacting with. “It’s like wearing a veil – it’s not a good thing,” she says. “You have to embrace getting older,” declares Streep after evolving from an actress who didn’t think she was pretty enough while growing up, to one that is now free of the constraints of beauty standards or glass ceilings.
Lesson #2 - Real Beauty Doesn’t Always Fade…it Evolves.
If the comments on a YouTube clip of Meryl Streep’s 2010 Golden Globe interview are any indication, she is more attractive these days than ever before. Comments on that video range from naming Streep an American cultural icon to calling her a goddess, who is so gorgeous, some viewers who normally think of her talent, grace and humility say they forgot how beautiful she is. The general consensus is that Streep looks good for her age – probably because she is comfortable with where she is now and not trying to look like 20-30-something actresses.
If there is one thing to learn from the responses she gets as a 60-something year-old actress, it is that youth doesn’t automatically equal beauty and your appeal is not entirely summed up by your age. I agree with this concept based on the fact that I think actresses Helen Mirren and Judi Dench are some of the hottest and/or most attractive women over 60.
Lesson #3 - The Most Beneficial Beauty Regimens are found in Healthy Lifestyle Choices, not in a Bottle, Tube or Jar.
Although we cannot beat aging or gravity, our lifestyle habits can either slow it down or speed it up – the latter of which is found in basic shade. “I don’t like to be hot, so I don’t have the sun beating down on me,” says Streep. Many of us buy all of these creams, gels, elixirs, powders, etc. to maintain some type of youthful glow and combat wrinkles when the simplest way to do it is by not baking ourselves under the sunlight.
The funny thing about Meryl Streep’s beauty regimen is its absolutely free and when she does indulge in skin and body products, those things also come without a charge. “At the Oscars, they give you this free stuff and whatever is in that pack, I smear it on for a year,” she says.
Streep’s simple method of preserving her looks were made possible by her talents: Being a great actress gave her access to beauty products that she now doesn’t have to pay for – not because she endorses them – but because she uses the contents of her Oscar swag bag in moderation across a span of 365 days.
Lesson #4 - Tomorrow is not guaranteed, no matter how you look.
Streep got tired of spending so much of her life worrying about if she was appealing enough that she can’t even remember the last time it was among her concerns. “As there begins to be less time ahead of you, you want to be exactly who you are, without making it easier for everyone else – I have so many friends who are sick or gone, and I’m here – I’m very fucking grateful to be alive,” she says.
Meryl Streep has over 35 Oscar and Golden Globe nominations combined – more than any other actor in history. This woman is such a powerhouse of talent that comedic actresses Tina Fey and Amy Poehler joked about her doing well at having the Flu, during their 2013 Golden Globes opening monologue (at 5:17 in the video).
The seemingly never-ending amount of respect that Meryl Streep receives could be attributed to her focusing her energies on the gifts and talents she clearly possesses, making the most of her days on this earth – regardless of who wants to bed her or not.
How do conventional beauty standards affect YOUR quality of life?
Reader Comments (31)
I love Meryl Streep. I don't care what that vlogger says I think she's beautiful.
KC @ The Occasional Adventures of a Hermit & Oh Frog It
I'm always awed by Streep's performances, and can't imagine there being a cinematic community without her presence. To think that she shuns plastic surgery, and refuses to be anybody other than herself is a testament to her talents. Where 20-something actresses come and go, Streep maintains her course, and I'd like to think that the movies are better off having her around.
Excellent post!
Ive never been a big fan of Meryl Streeps acting. I met her locally once in the Berkshires and have to say she is a beautiful person. Your blog was equally beautiful.
I love Meryll Streep. She is such a classic beauty and a great actress to boot. Your blog is pretty cool. Can't wait to see more articles. Just stopping bye from the A to Z Challenge. Keep up the good work!
Meryl Streep is awesome, and, IMO, a VERY gorgeous woman, now and in her younger days - when she WANTED you to see her as beautiful. To me, that's better than Barbie-doll, cookie-cutter beauty, any day.
beauty is not just physic. beauty is the soul..