Helen Mirren Talks Redefining Ideals Of Female Beauty

The actress, legend, and queen that is Dame Helen Mirren isn’t afraid to let the world know what she makes of Hollywood’s ridiculous double standards. She’ll never praise the industry for its “fu*king brutal” ageist attitude, but what she does want to’do is praise and commend?’shameless women,? such as Pussy Riot and Kim Kardashian-West, for having autonomy over their bodies, embracing curvier shapes and eschewing the label of “slut.”

In a new interview with?The Telegraph, the 70-year-old spoke of how she was “too old to be a sex symbol” (we wholly’disagree) but said she was proud of a new generation of women (particularly?those in the public eye) who refused to conform to unrealistic beauty ideals and embraced their sex symbol status.

?When I was growing up, it was thought to be unbelievably sluttish to even have a bra strap showing,? Mirren said. ?Everything was about women conforming. I love shameless women. Shameless and proud!? She added that she was inspired by women who had not been ?controlled by being shamed.?

?I love women who have claimed their own bodies: Madonna, Chrissie Hynde, Joan Jett, Bonnie Raitt. I love Pussy Riot more than anything in the world. They all raise their middle fingers to this epithet of ‘slut?. They wear what they want to wear, behave as they want to behave.” And while she doesn’t count?herself a Kardashian fan, Mirren praised the reality star for empowering young women with confidence in terms of body shape.

?I’m not into the Kardashians, it’s a phenomenon I just don’t find interesting, but – and this is the big word: B-U-T-T – it’s wonderful that you’re allowed to have a butt nowadays!? she said.??Thanks to Madame Kardashian, and before her, J-Lo. We’re also allowed to have thighs now, which is great too. It’s very positive.?

As if we needed more reasons to love this all-too fabulous woman, the star revealed some of her own beauty ideals. “I have absolutely no beauty regime. I sunbathe – I know I shouldn’t, but?I love sitting in the sun. I drink wine and occasionally I’ll drink to excess. I eat French fries. I’ve never managed to go to the gym for longer than two months. I always forget to take my vitamins.?I’ve done everything, but I haven’t’done too much of anything – I’ve never?had a Coca-Cola, ever. Sometimes I use hotel body lotion as conditioner for my?hair. I’m not particular. Life is too short?and too precious.”

She is a bonafide?icon for a reason.

Via The Telegraph