“Wouldn’t it be great to age on a global stage?” said no woman ever. Meghan McCain is not pulling any punches after people seemingly discovered she’s no longer a young adult. Recently, the late Senator John McCain’s daughter stirred the proverbial pot, but not with anything she said about politics. It’s her face that has ruffled some people’s tail feathers.
McCain hosts a podcast called Citizen McCain, where she discusses politics and today’s political climate. Discussing politics is risky business in any climate, so receiving hate isn’t new to the political pundit. What is new is the commentary about her physical appearance. The former talk show co-host was criticized for her weight mere weeks after giving birth to her third child. But this time, the comments left her body and focused on her face.
Offended by her face?
Photo Credit: Why Tuesday/Flickr
After a particularly audience-engaging episode on New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, commentary started going haywire. Instead of focusing on the episode’s content, people began picking apart McCain’s appearance. The scrutiny became so intense that the mom of three decided to discuss it head-on in the most down-to-earth way possible. Her approach likely crosses political lines since no woman is immune to unsolicited comments about their appearance as they age.
On Psychology Today, Kaytee Gillis, a licensed clinical social worker, writes, “The implication is that women should somehow defy the natural course of time. If you do age, you must do so gracefully—by looking as young as possible for as long as possible. In contrast, a man’s value is rarely based on his looks alone. In fact, men often gain more respect and recognition as they age, while women can find themselves pushed to the margins as they grow older.”
Expected to remain young
Celebrity status doesn’t change the unrealistic expectation for women to remain forever youthful in appearance. But instead of scheduling a Botox appointment or hiring an at-home hair and makeup team, McCain stared into the camera to set people straight.
“I’m going to age. I’m going to get older,” she says in a clip uploaded on July 23. “I am fatter because I’ve had three kids. I look different because I don’t have professional hair and makeup every day, and sometimes in the morning it’s more important for me to get my kids ready, spend time with them, and feed my son than it is for me to get ready. Which is why I don’t always have my hair and makeup done to your liking.”
McCain says she’s normally an “armadillo-skinned person” when it comes to negative comments, “but there’s been a lot of commentary about how old and ugly I am now.” Those are harsh words for someone to hear at any time, let alone when they’re technically still in their postpartum window.
Since the invention of mirrors and the inclusion of them in every bathroom, it’s safe to say people know what their own face looks like. McCain is assuring viewers that she is also aware of her own face and can do without unsolicited observations.
Oh, Meghan looks older
But her response doesn’t end there. She later adds, “I’m 41 years old, and this is the first time that people have reacted like, ‘Oh, Meghan looks a lot older.’ I am a lot older. I’m no longer 5 years old with my dad running for Senate. I’m no longer 22 years old, my dad running for president. I’m no longer 32 years old, working at The View. I’m almost 42 years old with Ashley in this room.”
Her co-host chimes in, “Doing our own hair and makeup, and we don’t get Botox. We haven’t had a thread facelift. We’re not on Ozempic. We don’t have time to go get our hair done. I have roots. My hair is gray. I didn’t realize people were calling us fat and ugly.” McCain quickly corrects her with, “Not you. Me.”
The former talk show host reassures viewers later in the clip, “One thing I’m going to promise all of you is that I’m going to continue aging.” She then adds, “You guys gotta come to terms with my face. I’m going to continue looking like the Crypt Keeper. Okay?”
Crypt Keeper for the win
Viewers applauded the real message and agreed that she didn’t need to listen to the haters. One person writes, “Look, I don’t agree with a lot of your political opinions, but you look LOVELY. People seem to forget that aging is a gift that many do not get to experience. Thank you for helping normalize that not everyone resorts to Botox and facelifts. Confidence looks beautiful on you.”
Another says, “I remember watching you on The View. I don’t necessarily follow your content since I’m not always in agreement but sometimes see these reels. I have always thought you look beautiful and have amazing skin. It’s refreshing to see people in the public eye not changing their looks and feeling good about it. As far as being on the shorter side, I am too, not sure what people expect you to do about that. Only shorter people realize those challenges.”
Someone else from across the aisle chimes in with, “We may differ in our political beliefs, but one thing upon which we can agree: You are beautiful. At 5. At 22. At any age. And we know you come by it honestly because your dad was handsome and your mother is stunning.”
One woman shares, “We all feel this! This makes you so real and even more beautiful!!”
