When Princess Kate dyed her hair blonde — online commentators went wild: from "wig" to "dishwater blonde" and even speculating about her gray hair. The fact that Kate survived cancer just a year ago almost got lost in the commotion. 

Annalena Baerbock was not spared either. A short Instagram video shows the former German foreign minister, who took office as president of the UN General Assembly this week, hailing a taxi in New York wearing jeans, a jacket and high heels.

The comments floodgates soon opened, accusing her of being a "wannabe Carrie Bradshaw" — the main character in the series "Sex And the City" — or "a second-rank influencer."

As for pop singer Nelly Furtado, despite gaining weight, she stood confidently on stage in a tight-fitting dress. But the comments under her latest concert videos are not about the songs. They're about her body.

These three cases show that whether you're in politics, pop music or royalty, being a woman in the public eye still means you'll get mercilessly judged on your appearance.

'That's called sexism'

Margreth Lünenborg is a professor of media studies at the Free University of Berlin. "That's called sexism!" she says unequivocally. "Women experience far more aggressive hostility, body-centering, and shaming on social media than men," she tells DW.

Lünenborg sees an interplay between the high degree of public attention to women's bodies and the resulting trend of self-optimization — pushing more and more women to pursue surgical procedures. "Being constantly observed online leads to massive visual optimization, meaning ever greater changes and alterations to bodies."

Power structures with an early impact 

"No matter what position women are in, they are always referred to first by their appearance, and always with the subtext: ‘A strong woman looks great.' Girls learn this as early as kindergarten, when they are praised for a pretty dress, while boys are not commented on for their clothing," Maya Götz, director of the International Central Institute for Youth and Educational Television, tells DW.

Behind this fixation lies a power structure: "This causes major problems for young girls and women — and opens up opportunities for others to exert power over them."

Media as amplifiers 

The media and tech platforms also play a role. Lünenborg explains: "Algorithms rank certain body images at the top, while others disappear into the periphery. The media intensify what is considered attractive — and label others as freaks or ugly, so that beauty shines all the brighter by contrast."

Cultural journalist and author Rabea Weihser points to historical patterns: "Women in Western societies have been judged on their appearance for centuries. During the Enlightenment, for example, women were defined as creatures of nature and men as creatures of the mind," she tells DW. "These clichés persist to this day."

Looking 25 forever

The way attractiveness is defined is still somewhat archaic, says Weihser. Her new book, "Wie wir so schön wurden" (How We Got So Beautiful), investigates the topic of beauty through the lenses of cultural history, science and the media. "It's particularly important for women to keep looking young and fertile, whether they're still in their fertile years or over 45," she explains. "It's quite a paradox that women are expected to look like they're 25 forever."

To match these expectations, many women — and not just celebrities — do a tremendous amount of "beauty work." They invest time and money in making themselves look closer to society's unrealistic beauty standards. Everywhere in the world and across cultures, they judge themselves based on influential role models — groups or individuals whose lives they consider desirable.

"In the past, this used to be primarily the nobility," says Weihser, "while today, it's people like Kim Kardashian, who regularly sets trends through her own style and uses it to market products. That sends the message: 'If you buy everything, you'll be as pretty as I am, and you'll have the chance to have a similarly successful life.' Attractiveness is quite often a false promise of happiness."

Nelly Furtado sends a signal

Pop singer Nelly Furtado visibly defies the tyranny of beauty ideals and perfectionism. She may experience body shaming but doesn't let all the toxic comments get to her, taking the stage confidently in tight outfits.

Rabea Weihser sees an important signal in Furtado's attitude: "Firstly, asserting oneself is very healthy. But that doesn't solve the problem with compulsive haters. We need more public figures to stand for being glamorous while showing that they're real people. This impression sometimes gets lost amid all the artificially optimized and polished bodies."

"For young women, it's extremely difficult to assert themselves when facing online harassment. They see themselves as the problem. That's why role models are important — women who clearly show: You're not the problem — it's the ones attacking you," Maya Götz explains.

Influencers like Tara-Louise Wittwer (aka @wastarasagt) or Louisa Dellert tirelessly show themselves to their Instagram audiences, while responding to haters with humor and composure. Every day, they encourage thousands of girls and women to appreciate themselves.

Whether it's their high heels in Manhattan, the color of their hair or their changing bodies, women are held to standards based on criteria that hardly apply to men. Researchers agree — it's not just about gossip but power, structures and images that impact girls' and women's lives worldwide.

This article was originally written in German.