Madonna And Ageing

Youth worship, ageism, older women influencers, and longevity

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Madonna And Ageing

Why is 66 year old Madonna choosing to age the way she is, apparently trying to recapture her younger years with facial procedures and style of stage costume, that make her look too much younger? Is it because when she started out she sold herself as a sexual, edgy woman and her audience of the eighties era, responded to that? Her success made her a powerhouse in music and she became known as the queen of pop. Is she now trying to appeal to a new, younger audience, or her loyal fan base?

Still trying to portray herself as a sexual and edgy woman in her seventh decade has brought her much criticism. Women of her age are more often grandmothers, and the words ‘sexual’ and ‘edgy’ are not associated with the stereotypical grandmother. Cher is the same - and so is Dolly Parton. They established themselves when they were young, and as they aged, have tried to deny their aging with surgery.

Madonna and Cher have both further shocked society by having boyfriends more in keeping with the younger iteration they portray, rather than of their biological age. Men do this all the time and no one bats an eyelid. Mick Jagger is a prime example. At 81, there’s a 44-year difference between him and his current girlfriend, with no criticism. They welcomed a child in 2018. He’s not the only aging lothario in the music industry, and as a fellow boomer I should celebrate his energy.

Patti Smith, Joni Mitchell, and Joan Baez, have all aged differently from Madonna et al. Still glamorous women, in their way, they haven’t tried to hold back time, though still active in the music world. Is this because their music appeals to a wider audience, perhaps?

There is no doubt we still live in a youth-centred world. When I was a teenager in the swinging sixties, youth dominated nearly every cultural sphere, including music. Today is no different, there has been no progress. These women may be under some pressure to maintain a youthful appearance, either from the music industry or their own inner need to stay relevant.

As long as youth dominates, artists will feel pressured to try to remain appealing to their young, ageist audiences. While youth remains at the forefront of society, ageism will thrive. In a speech in 2016, while accepting an award, Madonna ended: “And finally, do not age, because to age is a sin. You will be criticised, you will be vilified, and you will definitely not be played on the radio.” A reference there to the BBC refusing to play the music of older artists on Radio 1.

New Model?

A sociologist at the University of Washington, claimed that Madonna, along with other ageing Hollywood stars was offering a new model for their baby boomer generation. But is it an offer we want to accept as ours? Is it one we can relate to? Who can afford, or want, plastic surgery that has to be updated as you age (Madonna’s current face bears little resemblance to that of her younger self)? Do people really see these women as role models for ageing? Yes, we want to break down barriers for women, but maybe not this way.

Having plastic surgery and impossibly younger boyfriends is not the way to curtail ageism. I’d rather offer Joni Mitchell, Patti Smith and Joan Baez as the model for ageing to push. As we age, we grow mentally and emotionally, as well as change physically. Life’s experiences give us new insights that add to our growing wisdom. Concentrating on, and trying to recapture youth is dismissing all that.

Boomers are already offering a new model, anyway. Older women who age with energy and verve, who prioritise health and who look good but not necessarily youthful, though usually younger than their actual age. They promote a new way of ageing. It provides role models to aspire to that are achievable, rather than to dread.

It’s a different model that isn’t about emulating men. Do we want, as a romantic love interest, a man young enough to be our grandson? You don't counter ageism by looking like you haven't aged. You surely do it by positive example, by showing that living in the second half of life can be a positive experience. That life can still be lived to the full but in a different way from when you were young. It's not all about gradual decline and negativity.

Longevity

Centering health and wellbeing enables a more productive life and a more engaged experience. It's already happening. Longevity and healthy ageing influencers are all over social media. Boomers are fighting ageism by showing that growing old can still be a meaningful experience rather than the end of the world.

Here on Substack under the category, Health and Wellness, there are many people like me, usually in the second half of life, writing about healthy ageing, being positive about older age and promoting a different way to be old. Older age is being opened up to scrutiny today more than it ever has been in the past because of the interest in longevity. Boomers, who were part of the counterculture revolution in the sixties, are now attempting to change the way society perceives ageing.

Young people need to be able to see that you don’t have to give up being creative, curious and edgy, even sexy, in your later years. They need role models that inspire them, to prevent the ageist attitude they have to older people, who, if they’re lucky they will be one day.

People have always admired Madonna for continuing to push boundaries, but is she succeeding in providing the role model young people need? Her latest face work created shock rather than admiration, and her boyfriend’s age doesn’t align her with his generation. It highlights the difference between their ages.

Older women, like the influencers setting a new positive example and Patti Smith, Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez and their like, still creating music in their eighth and ninth decades are without doubt the role models to aspire to and that will help counter ageism.

Helen Mirren, who will be 80 this year, has a great attitude to ageing. "I don't want to age gracefully, I want to age disgracefully. Ageing is a cause for celebration and the reality is that it's a non-stop adventure. That's what I enjoy."

An adventure is a good way to see it. After all, old age is territory none of us has travelled before and we are all learning how to hack it. Finding the balance between remaining youthful in spirit and active in body, and managing the changes that come with advancing years is what we are all tasked with.

Trying to recapture faded youth with drastic procedures will be old hat one day. Women like Pamela Anderson and older women influencers are setting the scene for authenticity and a longer healthspan.

Who is Pamela Anderson?

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Here’s another article I wrote on the subject of ageing and ageism, with a little about my life in the fashion world in London in the 1960s. Also, an attempt to change the language used for older people, to counteract ageism: Sixties Counterculture Generation Now Changing The Way We Age?

COMMENTS

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