A compliment is a polite expression of praise, so giving one is supposed to be good etiquette, right? Even if well intended, Jennifer Aniston has a bone to pick with people who constantly give her one compliment specifically. The “Friends” star, 54, revealed that the compliment “you look great for your age” is one that she wishes would stop. “It drives me bananas. I can’t stand it,” she told British Vogue. “That’s a habit of society that we have these markers like, ‘Well you’re at that stage, so for your age…’ I don’t even understand what it means.” Aniston went on to explain instead, the compliment should be, “you look great — period.”
So why is this such an offensive compliment to one of Hollywood’s favorite stars? Ageism! Commenting on anyone’s looks or appearance “for their age” implies that looking good is unexpected or unusual for that particular age group. It suggests that there is a standard decline in attractiveness as people grow older, reinforcing ageist stereotypes. By highlighting someone’s appearance in relation to their age, it reinforces the false societal notion that youthfulness is inherently superior to aging.
Another common mistake? When someone mentions their age and another person says with a shocked face “what? you look so good for your age!” Again, well-intended but one to avoid as it’s easy to offend someone by pointing out an attractive appearance in relation to age.
The good news here is that while this is a common mistake people may make, we can learn from it. In fact, focusing on things other than appearance make the best compliments anyway. Thanks, as always Jen. We love you and how incredible of an actress and powerhouse businesswoman you are! Now that, is a compliment.