- Paulina Porizkova, 57, clapped back at a commenter who said she’s too “old and ugly” to share bikini photos.
- “I get comments like these every time I post a photo of my body. This is the ageist shaming that sets my teeth on edge,” she wrote.
- Porizkova’s honesty inspired thousands of women to share their #oldandugly bikini photos in support of her speaking out.
Paulina Porizkova is, unfortunately, no stranger to internet hate. The supermodel and pro-aging activist receives daily comments about the way she presents herself at 57, especially when that includes posing in a bikini, which she (proudly!) does often. Now, after a particularly rude comment by an Instagram hater, Porizkova is clapping back—and starting a movement in the process.
Some people seem to think Porizkova is “too old” to show off her body, but she isn’t afraid to put them in their place. Most recently, she re-shared a comment that said she “must be in so much pain” to be posing in a swimsuit at her age, and that “getting old and ugly is hardest on the pretty people.”
Rather than engaging with the internet hater, Porizkova used it as a teaching moment. “A woman of 57 is ‘too old’ to pose in a bikini—no matter what she looks like. Because ‘Old’ is ‘Ugly,’” she wrote. “I get comments like these every time I post a photo of my body. This is the ageist shaming that sets my teeth on edge. Older men are distinguished, older women are ugly.”
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She went on to discern what the commenter referred to as prettiness from beauty. “Pretty is easy on the eyes, partly because it’s a little bland, inoffensive. It’s easy to take in and easy to forget,” she wrote. “Not so beauty. Beauty can be sharp. It can wound you and leave a scar.”
She continued: “This is why I believe we get more beautiful with age. We have earned our beauty, we understand what it is, and we can see it so much better. There is no such thing as ugly and old. Only shortsighted and ignorant.”
You may wonder why Porizkova bothers giving such commenters her time, and it’s because she’s passionate about changing societal discussions about aging. “I’m not posting this because I feel bad and need sympathy- quite on the contrary!” she disclaimed. “I’m posting this because this is a pervasive sentiment that needs to be done away with. So we can be proud of aging, as we deserve to be!”
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Thankfully, the star has just as many supporters as she does naysayers. In fact, her post inspired thousands to share their own “old and ugly” photos on Instagram and Twitter in which they confidently embraced their ages. As selfies, beach pics, and other candid shots poured in, Porizkova was touched by the movement she’d unintentionally spawned.
“I ended up in tears at well past midnight, still scrolling and commenting on this wave of affirmations of one another,” she captioned a follow-up Instagram. “For one night, the world seemed a beautiful place.”
On Twitter, she thanked everyone for chiming in and encouraged continued sharing. “Today’s thread has been my absolute favorite of all time. Thank you all you ‘old and ugly’ women (and a few men) showing the world how much we ‘suffer’ at in our old age. You’re all breathtaking!” she wrote. “Keep posting your wonderful beautiful selves.”
Porizkova loves turning a perceived negative into a positive. And as the evidence shows, she’s pretty good at it.
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