The Substance is a movie by director Coralie Fargeat that tackles the topic of age and fame. It centers around an older actress named Elizabeth Sparkle, who is offered a drug that will make a younger, better version of herself. She then faces conflict about the unintentional side effects of the drug and deals with her younger version becoming more successful than her.

This movie meant to take on the topic of women aging in the entertainment industry and how limited that time is. It seems that women become abandoned as soon as they are not what is conventionally attractive during that time. It can happen to older actresses, or it can happen to someone freshly 21-years old.

Millie Bobby Brown recently faced criticism over videos and photos of her. Viewers seemed to think that Brown looked as if she had aged years instead of looking like the 21-year-old she is. Everyone seemed to be thinking that she is “aging poorly” due to her choice of hair, makeup and clothes.

Brown is a special case in the entertainment industry. She became a child star with her first big role being the star in the hit Netflix series Stranger Things. The hate became so toxic that she had to come online to defend herself.

“I think it’s necessary to speak up about this. I started in this industry when I was 10 years old. I grew up in front of the world, and for some reason, people can’t seem to grow with me. Instead, they act like I’m supposed to stay frozen in time, like I should still look the way I did on Stranger Things season 1. And because I don’t, I’m now a target.” Said Brown on Instagram.

This brings up a fair point. Media and individuals that consume content like tv-series or movies have this expectation that people will remain as their show counterpart. People have a hard time moving on and separating what they see on the screen to the real world.

Another star that has faced a similar situation for years and who the internet loves to make their favorite topic about every other year: Selena Gomez.

Gomez has been very open about her struggle with lupus. According to Mayo Clinic, lupus is an autoimmune disease that causes someone’s immune system to attack its own tissues and organs. For Gomez, it has already caused her own kidney as she needed a transplant in 2017.

Due to her lupus, she has struggled with her weight and the internet has had fun. Women and their bodies are not their own. They are often the topic of discussion for the media when these ladies should just be left alone. I do not remember the last time I read about a male actor’s changing appearance getting as much attention and media coverage.

We need to leave people alone and let them grow as people. Sometimes we fall in love with characters and want so badly for them to be real. However, these characters are played by real people, and they have their own lives. They should be respected and left to live their lives separately from the beloved characters and their stellar performances.