Actress Kim Novak, who starred in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1958 movie Vertigo, presented the Academy Award for the best animated feature on March 2nd. Novak has a long career as a successful actress, and we thought it was great to see one of Hollywood’s famous alums present at the Oscars. Other critics on the web weren’t so welcoming of the actress’ presence, and the backlash came in response to her appearance. It seems like Hollywood stars can’t ever get a break; Kim Novak is 81 years old, and in our opinion looks fabulous for her age.
The photo above shows Kim Novak in her prime acting days- circa the late 1950’s. Obviously, she was blessed with genes for both beauty and talent. We think that the focus should not be on looks, but rather on the legacy such talented stars have left on Hollywood. To the people who have critiqued Kim for having too many procedures, we ask: what do you think drives someone to undergo multiple cosmetic procedures or plastic surgery? While we always hope that patients do it for themselves, the reality is, there is so much pressure (especially in Hollywood), to never age past the age of 40.
The internet backlash about Kim Novak’s appearance at the Oscars ultimately shows how obsessed the American public still is with physical looks. Even Donald Trump tweeted, “I’m having a real hard time watching the Academy Awards (so far). The last song was terrible! Kim should sue her plastic surgeon! #Oscars.” While we wish the primary focus of similar critiques could be on qualities other than physical appearance, we can’t deny the undeniable, and understand the obsession our society has with looks. What most people probably don’t know is that Kim Novak is a cancer survivor and has dealt with bipolar disorder for much of her life. Not only is she beautiful and talented, but extremely strong, too, as she has overcome many obstacles. We will continue to focus on her wonderful attributes, and hope that others will follow suit.
