Photos of Tom Schwartz walking his dog in LA had fans saying the Vanderpump Rules alum looked “worlds away” from his catalog-modeling days.
Former model Tom Schwartz, 43, was recently spotted walking his dogs in Los Angeles, and fans couldn’t help but notice how different he looks from his Vanderpump Rules heyday. Once known for his boyish charm and good looks, Schwartz has traded that polished image for a much more laid-back appearance—prompting headlines claiming he looked “unrecognizable.”
Schwartz, for his part, laughed off the headlines on Instagram, joking that the outlet behind one story “better sleep with one eye open” before his girlfriend, Kiana Carroll, chimed in that it was “a bad angle.”
Much of the reaction online has sided with Schwartz, pointing out the odd expectation that reality stars stay frozen at 25 and calling the coverage ageist clickbait.
It’s impossible not to think about how much of Schwartz’s reputation was tied to his looks. For years, his appearance softened the public’s perception of behavior that likely wouldn’t have been excused if he weren’t so conventionally attractive.
As that polished image gives way to a more lived-in look, the same traits are drawing sharper criticism. The “unrecognizable” framing says less about how Schwartz has aged than about how much a face was carrying the story all along.
Do you think people are being too harsh about his appearance, or does this show how much attractiveness shapes the way we judge reality TV stars?
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