Super model Paulina Porizkova reflecting on the experience of aging as a woman.
“This one is for you, Instagram ladies — and those of you who sometimes stop me on the street just to say ‘hi’ and ‘thank you,'” Porizkova, 61, said in a Sunday, September 27, Instagram video. “I’m a little surprised by the ‘thank you.’ I guess maybe I still don’t feel like I deserve it, but [I’m] get over that. And I guess the ‘thank you’ is to make you not feel alone [in] not delusional about getting older. “
She continued, “Getting older is such a privilege when we get that—and yet—it’s so on the line, especially when it comes to women. We get kicked out of the main tables when we age. We’re expected to go quiet. We’re expected to withdraw from polite society.”
Porizkova gained fame as a supermodel in the 1980s, appearing in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 1983. She went on to appear on the cover of the magazine in both 1984 and 1985. She has since become known on social media for her body positive content.
“Those of us who are not ready to give up have to go through surgical procedures. And those of us who don’t care can – yes, withdraw, sure, and we have a very happy life. But it seems that there is a lack of balance here somewhere,” Porizkova continued in her Sunday video. “Can’t we age and still be at the top table? I mean, we have more to contribute now than we ever did.”
After asking her followers what online content they wanted to see more of, and what makes them “feel good,” she then concluded, “Let’s do more of that and tell me in the comments what I can do more of.”
“This is just about scrolling through social media,” Porizkova wrote in the caption. “What makes you better? What makes you worse? What makes you jealous? What makes you feel generous? What inspires you? I know I feel better when I see women who mirror my experiences.”
She continued, “I get jealous when I see my peers getting what I want. I feel generous when I see people I admire doing well and I can turn the quick impulse of envy into good wishes.”