We Don't Just Need A Body Image Revolution, We Need an 'Aging Image' One!

As I recovered from binge eating disorder and body obsession, fat days have gotten fewer and farther between.

But guess what's been popping up in their place? Wrinkle days! (This was me the other morning while brushing my teeth: "Mm, this new Aquafresh tastes ni ... ACK another crow's footWHERE'S MY MOISTURIZER?!") I may have gotten a lot saner about my weight and food, but now, apparently at the ripe old age of four-and-thirty, I'm dealing with this. And, I don't know about you, but I could use a healthy-aging-image heroine.

In this era of Botox, fillers, cheek implants and completely surgically made-over faces, how are we supposed to know what's normal anymore? Tell me, is Heather Locklear an example of what a woman is supposed to look like by age 49? Or at age 52, like Melanie Griffith in this pic? I highly doubt that a naturally aging woman would appear to look like Suzanne Somers does at 64...or like like Joan Rivers does at 77.

The extreme implants and facial surgeries sought out by aging women have become the West's version of genital mutilation--only it's voluntary. I am hereby declaring our society's fight against aging complete and total insanity. I think we don't just need a Body Image Revolution, we need a Natural Aging Revolution! I nominate the talented, brilliant Meredith Vieira, 57, and Goldie Hawn, 65, to be the posterladies.

Who's your "aging image" hero? And, how do you feel about and deal with getting older?

 

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Comments

[agbravo]

09:09 PM on 06/08/2010

As a 66-year-old woman (which sounds ancient - take my word for it, it isn't!), I love the concept of an Aging Image. This is a tough one, believe me. I'm scared to tears of plastic surgery; but when it works, it's wonderful (Florence Henderson looks great; Susan Sarandon - not sure whether she has or she hasn't; even Meryl. When there are no jowls, it usually indicates some work has been done. The key most of us find is wanting to look GOOD - then figuring out what that means to US. Staying healthy is key. Then again, I recently went to my 50th (50!) High School Reunion. One of my classmates had had gorgeous plastic surgery. She looked amazing. At that moment in time, I didn't care if she ate potato chips all days and never exercised one iota. Am I shallow? Maybe? Do I care about looking attractive? Absolutely! For this aging woman, it's an ongoing conundrum.

[Lines Of Beauty]

11:22 PM on 06/04/2010

I vote for Helen Mirren or anyone in the public eye who has the wisdom to age gracefully like she has. I think we're starting to think a little differently about aging and how wonderful it can be if we can just accept that we are here to live and age. Older people are really so beautiful! I have a site about aging gracefully called Lines of Beauty. It is about embracing growing older, instead of dreading it, one wrinkle at a time. You might like to come and join the conversation: www.linesofbeauty.com

[philohooke]

12:34 PM on 06/03/2010

One beautiful actress at the top of my list, Meryl Streep. Lovely.
http://www.itsadogslifestudio.com

[melmel]

07:54 PM on 06/02/2010

That is why I wrote this. It isn't just one issues; size, age, race etc. It is the range of issues with beauty that is the problem. http://feministfatale.com/2010/05/5-feminist-criticisms-of-beauty-is-it-worth-the-fight/

[MamaontheGo]

04:07 PM on 06/02/2010

If you've never seen the film, Harold and Maude, rent it ASAP. A fabulous love story with an 80 year old smokin hot heroine. Ruth Gordon is radiant and adorable as Maude.

[MamaontheGo]

04:06 PM on 06/02/2010

When I am 80 I want to look like Ida Rolf. What a beautiful old woman--with flowers in her hair.

http://www.rolfresearchfoundation.org/ipr_photos

I'm 42 now and I think I look better and sexier than I ever have in my life, with no anti-aging treatments. I have a happy marriage and a great sex life. Nothing on my body is what it was in my 20s but I feel much more beautiful than I did then, I really think beauty is about health, character and confidence, more than age.

[Vinca]

09:48 AM on 06/02/2010

Raquel Welch looks really fabulous for her age. She's over sixty. I'm quite certain she hasn't had a facelift. She looks pretty much the same as she always did.

[Joann Vallo]

02:33 PM on 06/02/2010

She's 70 and why are you "quite certain" she hasn't had a facelift? I saw her on Oprah, and she's really self absorbed. She looks fabulous, but I don't believe for a minute that she hasn't had work done. Nobody's face stays that perfect naturally. I personally think she would look great no matter what, but I don't believe she's "as is".

[Vinca]

09:44 AM on 06/02/2010

Betty White is lucky, that she seems to be healthy. Bubbly Betty White looks very well for her age. Time will take it's toll on everyone.

[Vinca]

09:41 AM on 06/02/2010

On the TODAY SHOW, this morning, they talked about going gray. I always loved the color on horses, so I asked myself, why not gray hair?At At least for now, I'm not tinting my hair. Jamie Curtis is lovely with her gray hair. I won't give up make-up unless I have too for some reason, like illness. Mom always liked to put on her mascara every morning, until she became sick, and lost interest in it.

[ShirleeK]

08:17 AM on 06/02/2010

Tipper Gore just jumped to the top of my list of role models for aging gracefully. Martha Stewart has been there for a long time for "best public comeback by a mature woman". Claire McCaskill continues to amaze me. BTW, exactly how old is Arianna?

Every day I see friends and acquaintances meet the challenges of maturing with strength, intelligence, grace, and dignity. I hold them all in awe and respect.

[badmama3]

10:41 PM on 06/01/2010

I'd love to look as good as Helen Mirren when I grow up!

[vvlavee]

10:05 PM on 06/01/2010

This celebrity-saturated culture makes me wary of finding an "aging hero" in the media, though there are many local women I look up to. And, I'm also wary of comparing my looks to other women's, even women I admire, since that is a technique of our oppressive beauty culture. Instead, I'm practicing friendly regard toward my jowls and other saggy parts when I happen to notice them, same as I would anyone else's. Meanwhile, I enjoy living in my body in the healthy moment. Of course, this attitude doesn't do anything for the GNP!

[Lynda Filler]

09:46 PM on 06/01/2010

It's a great article. Of course the fairy tale words: "aging naturally" can only be written by one who is "four plus thirty." Apart from that, with a little body maintenance, and all original body parts, I love the way I look today. We are living incredibly long lives in a society obsessed with youth, that's true. It's that inner beauty we all must search for or having a great outer shell is not going to make any difference to fulfillment and happiness.

[Debbie338]

08:57 PM on 06/01/2010

I'm 57 and I think I look a lot younger than my age. My "secret" is keeping in excellent physical shape. I've used botox and fraxal laser, but the rest is the real me! Too many people accept aging and getting fat as being inescapable partners, and that's simply FALSE. You just have to work at it a little harder.

[mssreader]

08:52 PM on 06/01/2010

Oh, without a doubt, Vanessa Redgrave is my aging mentor. With impeccable grace and exquisite beauty and then comes Helen Mirren and Judi Dench. For American's that's a bit harder but definitely my two best friends and Caroline Kennedy. Good article and much needed these days.

[Art Dodger]

11:45 PM on 06/02/2010

I agree with you mssreader. You have listed my favorite female role models too. It is hard to avoid the absolute worship of youth in our culture in the USA. I think the Europeans are a little healthier than we are here, but overall the development of things like botox and "easy" plastic surgery have really forced those who are aging without intervention to look positively ancient--while many of those who resort to intervention look plastic and weird. it's awful. It makes it harder to fee good about aging gracefully.

[mssreader]

12:33 AM on 06/03/2010

Art Dodger. Isn't it the truth! Sad really. I look at Vanessa Redgrave and smile and say it's great to age gracefully. I included Caroline Kennedy because unlike her mother she seems to be ok with her wrinkles and I admire that. I have a friend who was so excited about her 50th birthday that she threw her own party. I've never seen any woman who is so comfortable and happy about getting older which is great to see as you have indicated. I would not want to go back to my twenties or thirties again for anything and my 40s were the best years of my live and now I'm trying to grow old gracefully. If you haven't already, watch Rumor of Angles with Vanessa and watch how she is with age and not the least bit trying to hide it. Great, great film.

Fanned for our courage and adorable photo moniker.