Unfair! (with an update)
I wrote this blog exactly 2 years ago.
It’s a trivial subject – but then again – maybe not so trivial.
So I have added an update at the end with some recent photos.
This is BEAUTY!
UNFAIR
Last week was Goldie Hawn’s 70th birthday.
I’m about a medium when it comes to celebrity infatuation. I’m not overly obsessed with the famous, but I am not above enjoying People magazine in the doctor’s office.
I like Goldie Hawn. She always had a unique look, and seemed to accept herself just as is. She appears to be at ease, embracing even, the character she created – the ditzy blonde who’s intelligent and shrewd underneath the giggles. And she even produced a couple of movies – like “Private Benjamin” – that exploited (in the best sense of the word) her rather adorable persona.
And on top of that, she has lived her life on her own terms.
So I like her.
And I became mildly incensed – is that possible? – mildly AND incensed? – it seems like a contradiction, but that description feels right – when I saw TWO internet articles recently about
“Stars Who Have Let Themselves Go”
And there she is: Goldie.
In the most unfair way possible.
First, these articles show a photo of Goldie in her most youthful loveliness
And then they jump to this:
This pisses me off.
The first photo is a glamour shot – taken by a professional, with hair and makeup and lighting just perfect.
And the second is probably the result of some paparazzi with a telephoto lens shot while Goldie was taking out the garbage or something.
And that’s called “Letting Yourself Go.”
Why wouldn’t they compare the first photo to a comparable contemporary pic? Nicely dressed, hair and makeup done?
Like this one:
Or perhaps, let’s do the opposite.
If you are going to show a bad “Old Goldie” – why not compare to a bad “Young Goldie”?
Like this:
Or – even better, why not show “Bad Young Goldie” side by side with “Nice Old Goldie”?
Like this:
And then you could say:
“Stars Who Just Keep Getting Better”
For God’s sake, Goldie is SEVENTY years old! She isn’t letting herself go. She is letting herself AGE. And pretty well, I might add.
And some nasty folks might be thinking, “She’s probably had some work done.” Well, sure. She works in HOLLYWOOD. Where you are not allowed to age, remember?
And while I’m at it, let’s defend Barbra Streisand too, who always makes these “shocking photos” lists.
Instead of showing her horrible aging process:
Wouldn’t it be so much nicer to show her fabulous aging process?
Holy Crap! She’s gorgeous!
Right now! Gorgeous!
And SEVENTY-THREE!
In the U.S. there are 43 million people over the age of 65.
And in a few months, I will be one of them.
And we are getting more beautiful every year.
*****
So here is my update:
Here’s what we old women look like in 2017:
Goldie – Now 72:
Barbra – now 75:
And me – closing in on 67:
Us three girls!
Old? Maybe.
Beautiful? Absolutely!
- Posted in: Advice ♦ Aging ♦ Beauty ♦ Humor ♦ movies
- Tagged: Barbra Streisand, Goldie Hawn, hollywood
notquiteold 
Every single photo of these people are fine. Make up or no make up, it matters not. They are just photos of a moment here and a moment there. I cannot see a problem. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
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True! Thanks!
I have always believed that people look like their most beautiful photos – and more.
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Instead of xray, I wonder what it would be like to have kindray vision. Now that would be an amazing super power.
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OMG… what an amazing idea! I need to blog about that… and give you due credit, of course!
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Looking great! Ab Fab at it’s best. 🙂
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Thanks!
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Reblogged this on ugiridharaprasad.
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All three hot ladies! You go girl 🙂
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I’m going – with enthusiasm!
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Just coming back to those photos for a second, and actually thinking that the older, not made up photo is the one I would most prefer to have as a friend.
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I am torn on this. I want all my friends to be comfortable however they look. But I also want my friends to feel and look as beautiful as possible. I want them all to glow!
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Yeah, those articles get me too. In terms of pure beauty you can’t beat youth. However, aging has it’s own beauty and all of the ladies have it. Even the most gorgeous starlet has a moment when they look like crap. If they are lucky, the paparazzi won’t catch it.
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The paparazzi are only too happy to catch someone looking awful. I remember seeing a photo of an actress on the beach, with a comment about how fat she was, and I saw that the actress said, “I think I look pretty good!” Yea for her!
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I don’t pay much attention to celebrities at all. Except when the news makes a story out of something and they’re plastered all over the TV. But have to say all 3 of you look pretty amazing. I’ll be 62 in a few months. 50 was great. 60 was harder. Now I’m sort of settling in. No other choice really. Thinking about letting the hair go grey…but the hairdresser says (not surprisingly) that it’s not time yet. Right. Costs me 50+ every 6 weeks….of course it’s not time yet! LOL
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My cousin just suggested that I let myself go gray like the rest of the family. I have nothing against gray hair… it can be beautiful, and it can make your skin look rosy and glowing – but …. well, I am just not ready yet! As a matter of fact, I have gone even lighter with the blond – because the gray roots don’t show as much. (or at least that’s what I tell myself!)
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I let mine go gray when my husband said,”Why don’t you dye it gray and be done with it?” I did not dye it gray but I stopped keeping it brunette. I let nature take its course and I must say, I get compliments on my salt-and-pepper/now mostly silver hair all the time. I also make it a point to complement other gray-haired women on their choice to let it go natural. It’s a little tough when I’m in a group picture and everybody who’s the same age as me does not have gray hair even though I know they are completely gray underneath their colors. It makes me look older but I’m now used to standing out in a crowd. And my family loves my gray. That’s enough for me. Enjoy whatever makes you happy. It’s a personal decision and remember, it’s only hair. As the saying often repeated by chemo patients goes,”I am not my hair.” And beauty comes from within. Add a smile and there it is.
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I like gray hair…. and maybe someday…. just not quite yet!
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I like your blond. It suits you. When dying mine it looked artificial as the gray hairs turned a weird brown and called out to the world, “Hey look at me. I really a gray hair that refuses to hide.” It’s in my jeans. Prematurely white headed by fifty, my grandmother was known for her beautiful snowy hair. And now it’s my turn. “You know Lisa. The tall one with the silver hair.”
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“The tall one with the silver hair” is a pretty nice description!
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Stories about people “letting themselves go” piss me off too, anyway can have a photo that makes them look old and ragged and comparing professional photos with non professional photos is like comparing a ripe banana with and old banana that’s been sitting in the fridge for a week.
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It bugs me – I don’t expect glamours people to ALWAYS look glamorous. And I don’t gloat if they don’t look their best, either. They’re just people.
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You are gorgeous – the best of the three beauties.
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Oh thank you! You made my day. And I will confess to being younger than Goldie and Barbra.
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All three of you are gorgeous now, and I’m sure you were then! I LOVE this whole embracing our real selves idea! I once had a teaching friend who had one of her third grade kids tell her one day, out of nowhere, “I used to think you looked funny. But now I love you and you’re beautiful!” Amen, sisters!
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Exactly! Isn’t it amazing how the people we love look so beautiful?
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I wish all of us, including our harshest critic ourselves, see what our grandchildren see when they look at us. I know they think I am the second most beautiful woman in the world. Their Mom, of course, is the first.
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That is a great thought. Loving eyes are the best!
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I wonder what the paparazzi look like when they are taking out the trash and just going about their personal at-home business. It’s so unfair to compare an image from a professional photo shoot with an unposed grab shot of someone in their private life. I’m a week shy of 71, and I’m happier with the way I look now than I was in my self-critical 20s and 30s. But I still wouldn’t want someone taking my photo when I’ve just rolled out of bed in the morning!
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For sure! My selfie was a very nice one, but I had a bunch I deleted… and that was WITH makeup. I would NEVER want to see a photo of me without!
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I agree! Aging is not “letting ourselves go.” It’s just a natural part of life, and it’s plain silly to try to look like we’re in our twenties when we’re actually past fifty (at least in my case.) No wonder so many women are rushing off to a plastic surgeon’s office.
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I agree. I really think I look better now than when I was younger. I like the “character” that now shows in my face. Plastic surgery is not for me. But I don’t knock it either – I believe we should pursue what makes us happy.
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i love this…and i totally agree with you. Aging is aging…we are lucky if we are able to do it. 🙂
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I still feel pretty young. I just require a little more time to look my best!
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Agree 100%, those articles tick me off, and look for the ad placements, too — all ANTI AGING B.S. Aging is a gift denied to many!
You are beautiful!
MJ
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I like to take care of myself – and that includes good skin care and pretty makeup. But women who go au naturel are beautiful too. Whatever makes you feel comfortable with yourself. And my pet peeve with the anti-aging ads is the use of young models! Come on!
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Loved your article, so true 🙂
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Thanks.
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Love your article so real, I feel that Nancy
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I hope we can write each other and see what things could be?
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I see you have just started your own blog. I wish you much success.
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Thanks Nancy.. Hope we can read more messages from each other?
Here is my email we can text as well.. Kimbel444u@gmail.com
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Sorry, but no. I’m not comfortable with private conversations. Thank you for your interest.
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OK.. Nancy..
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I totally agree! The three of you are fabulous!
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