Research shows that older adults, especially women, have a self-image(appearance-wise) of approximately thirty-five years. Seems a bit startling, but if you take a look at what we see everyday, it surprising that it's as old as thirty-five!
This current generation is an imaged based generation, and as such it is bombarded by youthful images that are idealized, contrived, airbrushed and digitally enhanced. Young people have become increasingly dissatisfied with their own body images as they strive to compete with an omnipresent image that is not real. Moreover, they very rarely see images of older adults that have not had a nip and a tuck, or rather lots of nips and tucks....
Even those who have been "freshened up" are not really part of the mainstream media to any great extent. For the most part, models and actresses(yes, I know, we are supposed to say "actors" but I find the distinction useful) and now news anchors and political analysts look as if they have just graduated from college. Of course many are blonde (see Fox news channel)and/or have perfect
chiseled features and teeth that are so white they are blinding.
Oh yes, we have Candy Crowley and Judy Woodruff and a few other personalites. However, with respect to the media, for the most part young people have been insulated from us--- the Boomer generation...
More importantly, WE have been insulated from images of ourselves! We have almost totally disappeared from films, TV shows, commercials, the exception being for ads about life insurance, medicine, and mobility devices.
This is unacceptable! How is it that the idealistic, socially concerned baby-boomers have allowed this to happen? We are still great in numbers, and can still swing a huge economic hammer. We need to make our voices heard and let the powers that be know that if we are going to buy their products, watch their shows, see their films, etc. WE WANT TO SEE US. We buy hot clothes, cars, jewelry, sports equipment, vacations, computers, books, homes all kinds of stuff besides DEPENDS and prescription drugs.
A few nights ago I was pouring over the many comments made by the Eons members in response to the new age- limit. Many people felt that this change represented yet another place where we would be fading away, pushed out, drummed out, drowned out and forced to compete with younger folk. This comes in part from having been shut out and made to feel not "with it", and "not wanted" in so many places.
I say we still have the economic and the intellectual power to change things.
