I think it has, as we said at the start, I think it's made a lot of us think a lot more about the body and what it means in relation to feminism. And I think what I'd really like is for it to lead to just women really valuing their bodies more and feeling more at home in their bodies. Not feeling at home in your body and being made to feel, even in ways you don't articulate, that it's inferior is a major part of what facilitates misogyny. The fear of aging and body hatred are very connected.
Why are middle-aged women these days subject to so much rage and hatred? In her new book, "Hags: The Demonisation of Middle-Aged Women," author Victoria Smith confronts the disdain and vitriol she encountered as a woman entering mid-life. and she dissects the ageism and misogyny that have historically plagued older women, shedding light on its resurgence in recent years. In conversation with Hadley Freeman from The Sunday Times, they examine the societal dismissal of women who dare to exist beyond the confines of youth and desirability, rendering them seemingly superfluous.
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