Don’t think of it as getting old. Think of it as continuing to LIVE! Over coffee the other morning my 50-something friend and 50-something me were bemoaning the cosmetic surgery travesties of women like Meg Ryan and Cher. (The Vanity Fair cover was staring us in the face from the magazine rack.) We loved them! We still love them. We simply wish they didn’t apparently feel compelled – by Hollywood and our society – to chase faux youth. (I once had some kind of allergic reaction and woke up with trout lips…and I looked totally weird, not young.)
I think it’s a personal choice what to do (or not) – botox until you can’t wriggle your eyebrows if it makes you happy. But, here’s the really sad thing about Cher – she’s on record as saying aging sucks. This from a woman who can still strut on stage and blow ’em out of the balconies with her voice and verve, at 64. Like I said, sad. Of course, this is easy for me to say – I’m not a fashion/beauty/pop culture icon.
My jaw line is starting to resemble that of a basset hound (a happy basset hound, but still…) I’m also a bit prejudiced since, back in college, people used to say I looked like Cher (blonde version). The long, long hair (flip, flip), the nose, the hips. (Ah, those long-buried hips…but I digress.) However, it was something of a relief to outlive my babe-hood. Less sexism, more credibility. Our society has made a lot of progress…but…the only reason Sarah Palin became SUCH a big deal is her looks. A sexy babe politician? Be still our collective hearts! It’ll be interesting to watch as her looks start to go (And, sorry Ms. Palin – no matter your money or effort – after 50, things start going. Talk to my hips…and serving a half-term does not make you a governor in perpetuity.) Oops, there I go again.
Back to Cher and aging. I remembered the coffee talk last night when watching I Could Never Be Your Woman, with Michelle Pfieffer as a 40-year-old woman involved with a 29-year-old man (Paul Rudd.) The leads are too old for their parts (even with soft focus), Rudd’s character could use some work and the plot needs tightening…but I loved it because…the older woman stayed with the younger guy at the end. Hey, it may last, it may not. Happy live-in-the-moment ending.
My big peeve with Something’s Gotta Give is that Diane Keaton’s character left her besotted, loyal, totally committed young doctor, played by Keanu Reeves, for Jack Nicholson. (Oh sure, age appropriate, but in real life the odds of it working with leering womanizer Jack are about a million to one.) One of the great scenes in ICNBYW is when Michelle is sitting next to a couple of movie types, who are trashing a long list of actresses as too old, too much plastic surgery, hags, etc. She finally has enough and tells the guy “You’re not good enough to kiss Cher’s tattooed ass!” Yea.
You go, babe! So, here’s a Friday cocktail toast to to all of us lucky enough to not live in the media’s merciless glare. To our middle-aged asses (tattooed, saggy, whatever), long-lost hips (hey, they’re still in there somewhere), baggy basset jowls…and LIVING! And, to get us in the mood – here’s Cher in all her ’70s glory, singing one of my all-time favs (which she still belts out on her tours.) Cher Babe, you’ve still got me. (I just wish you could have a lip reversal). Young or old, you’re still great.
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Guest Post By Mary Schmidt, Marketing Troubleshooter
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
