Describing it as a “tired old line” that no longer holds any relevance and should be discarded entirely, Henshaw, in a recent video voiced her frustration with the increasing trend, particularly among younger individuals, including men, who use age as a means to belittle or insult others.
She condemned the hypocrisy of a society that simultaneously celebrates longevity yet mocks those who achieve it.
“It is utterly incredulous and laughable that the first thing out of people’s mouths, especially those who are younger than you, especially the young men, the younger ones, when they want to think that they want to shame you, is to say, old, this old person, old woman, old.”
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Henshaw challenged the logic behind such insults, pointing out the contradiction between wishing others long life and weaponising age as a form of ridicule.
“Do you people want to die young? It’s a question that I need you to answer. Because when you wish people happy birthdays and long life, why do you think that abusing or using the word old, you are old, will make someone feel less than who they are? Me, nobody can shame me. Nobody. Nobody can shame me for anything. That’s the real truth,” she said.
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Describing ageing as a privilege and not a curse, the actress asserted that those who engage in such behaviour lack wisdom and emotional maturity. She also highlighted the empowerment that comes with age, freedom from societal expectations and the ability to live life authentically.
“It is a tired old line that should be done away with. Ageing is a privilege denied to so many. The freedom that I have, that many who are my age get from just being themselves. I’m not giving to cobble what y’all think about is a superpower. You have no idea what it feels like to be at my age or older. So when you people use those lines, it’s like, I laugh,” she added.
Henshaw’s statement echoes a broader cultural conversation about respect for ageing and the problematic tendency to equate youth with value, especially within public discourse and online spaces.
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