Vanity Fair Disconnect
February 15th, 2013
Vanity Fair magazine, that non plus ultra arbiter of pop culture, did a survey, asking their readers to pick their favorite actor and actress.
And the winners are: 63 y/o Meryl Streep, and 82 y/o Clint Eastwood.
Haha, I doubt that that’s the age group that Vanity Fair pitches to all those sleek designer advertisers!
Life Begins at 40
February 5th, 2013
Life may begin at 40, but, alas, it’s over by your 50s.
How do I know?
Because the March issue of InStyle magazine has that feature that all the chix magazines run every couple of months—it’s a template: “Look Beautiful at Any Age,” “Great Hair at Every Age.” Then, for each age group, they show a celeb: in this version, it’s Frida Pinto for the 20s, 30s Michele Williams, 40s Salma Hayek, 50s– Julianne Moore.
That’s all. There isn’t any 60s. Does that mean if you are 60 you can’t be chic or have great hair anymore?
I wasn’t aware of that.
And I wonder if 10s of millions of my Baby Boomer sisters got that message?
That giant sucking sound in the background? It’s billions of dollars slithering out of the economy when 60 year old women stop buying lipsticks, and mani-pedis, and shoes and handbags, and lingerie, and pencil skirts, and Wonder Bras, and dresses, and bathing suits, and perfume, and jewelry, and accessories and facials, and crèmes for our skin.
If Boomers over 60 stopped trying to look “beautiful at any age,” Macy’s would probably do a lot less business.
What’s in a Name?
February 1st, 2013
Dear Journalists, Newscasters, Commentators and all those who give us the news and information that helps shape our world view:
You can write and say whatever you want about my generation—all I ask is that you spell our name correctly: B-O-O-M-E-R-S.
Sometimes you mix up my generation with the generation before mine, which is spelled S-E-N-I-O-R-S.
The Depression, and WWII forged the mettle of today’s seniors.
Boomers were weaned on political assassinations, civil rights, feminism. Our mettle was forged thru cultural flux and turmoil.
“S-e-n-i-o-r-s” are “that” generation” and “B-o-o-m-e-r-s” are “this” generation.
Thanks.
How Old is Too Old?
January 28th, 2013
Every week, Time magazine’s last page is their “10 Questions” feature–Editor-at-Large Belinda Luscombe probes celebrities and people in the news.
In the Jan. 28th issue she interviews Sixto Rodriguez, the 70-year-old Detroit man whose attempt at rock stardom fizzled in the 70s, so he settled down to an alternative career in demolition. Then, one day in 1998, a visitor arrived, informing Sixto that in South Africa he’s a rock icon, up there w/ Dylan and the Beatles. Sixto’s life took a turn from daily demolition in Detroit to touring South Africa, collecting past royalties and enjoying musical success.
That’s why Belinda interviewed him.
Her last question to Sixto was: “Does he still do demolition?” He answered “yes, just yesterday, to his own house, which he’s renovating.” Ms Lacombe, aghast, blurted out an uncustomary question #11, “You’re doing your own demolition? At 70?”
What she really meant was: “70 is too old to do demo work!” Also implying that 70 is too old to do anything functional.
Ms. Luscombe, meet Sir Paul (McCartney)—he’s 70, used to be in a big rock band, but ½ the guys are dead, and another’s semi-retired, so he’s gone solo and, he just won’t quit. The amazing thing is “he still does his own singing.”
Imagine the stamina to go on tour, 3-hour shows, night after night, all that traveling, up-all-night-sleep-all-day kind of life. Certainly that’s as strenuous as doing demolition, which is probably more tying wires together then actually, personally, destroying things.
The point, dear Belinda, it that 70 is NOT too old to do demo, or tour, or be a U.S. senator (Dianne Feinstein, 79.) Or win a Nobel Prize (too many to count who got awarded at 70+).
Just as bad, and maybe this subtle bit of ageism could have been editied out, is that she reinforced to millions of readers a personal belief that is not evidenced based…just because she thinks that 70 is too old for a man to do demo—or anything else functional–does not make it true.
The media watchdog is growling.
Good Housekeeping Gives Boomers a Fashion Nod
January 25th, 2013
You know those “Look Great at Any Age” features that all the womans mags do? The Jan. Good Houskeeping has “Chic at Any Age” that goes from the 30s, through the 40s and 50s and even includes 60s, which is still very new. Mags usally stop at women in their 50s.
Encouraging.
Kris Kristofferson’s Still Got It
January 23rd, 2013
I got invited to link my blog to a site called “Fabulous Over 40.” Ha. How about Fabulous Over 50 or 60? Or even 70. How about this picture of Kris Kristofferson in today’s L.A Times? He’s still got it, and he’s 76.
(Full disclosure: the photo is by prima photographer Mary Ellen Mark. Enough said.)
Cyndi Lauper at 59: Hot HOT HOT!!
January 21st, 2013
Did you see Cyndi Lauper (59 y/o) in Parade Magazine yesterday? She looks simply fabulous. Boomers really are redefining what 50 and 60 look, and dress, and act like.
Yikes! Dustin Hoffman is 75?
January 21st, 2013
This week’s New Yorker has a piece on Dustin Hoffman—commenting on his “energy and verve” the writer posits that maybe “seventy-five is the new fifty or maybe the new twenty-one.”
He looked great at the Golden Globes–trim, elegant, vibrant. He just directed his first movie.
I guess that 75 isn’t really that old, after all?
