We're back to the 90's - anti-aging is back with a vengeance

We're back to the 90's apparently and not in a good way.

It's being reported that female models over the age of 40 are struggling for work since COVID as brands seem to have retreated from the drive to "age beautifully" and "embrace life" and reverted to “youth is the only beautiful”.

They succumbed to fear, cowardice, cynicism and insecurity and decided that maximum, short term profit was far more important than being a pioneer. And the decisions are probably being made by men.

Why do brands think that using older models in their marketing is more risky or less profitable? Know what I think? With a few exceptions, they were only paying lip service to the idea, that they followed the trend and that they succumbed to fear, cowardice, cynicism and insecurity and decided that maximum, short term profit was far more important than being a pioneer. And the decisions are probably being made by men.

 What part does their belief about aspiration play in this? Do they feel that all older women aspire to be younger? I carried out a poll recently which says differently. Here are the results

The poll was held in two places – A Facebook women’s group and Linkedin. 133 people responded. 

28% of women wanted to look younger than their actual age. 

72% of women answered either that they were comfortable just as the best version of their age, they didn’t care or another age positive message.

It wasn’t possible to do the poll anonymously which means that there’s a possibility that people said what they thought we wanted to hear. And there is no judgement about those who wanted to look younger.

I’m going to nail my colours to the mast – it breaks my heart to see celebrities so desperate to remain youthful looking that they destroy their looks to do so. But plastic surgery can be a slippery slope. To maintain the “benefits” you need to keep doing it. And the more you do it, the more unnatural you look.  I only hope that they are doing it for themselves rather than out of fear of losing work.

There is MONEY in ageism.

 I was listening to The Guilty Feminist podcast yesterday about “And Just Like That”,  The Sex and the City  sequel (watch out for a blog coming on that) and the host said something like this: I won’t promote plastic surgery, [ ] It’s a tool of the patriarchy. And it’s true. Female performers are under constant pressure to look younger, less lined, smooth, slim by employers and the media. Just look at the vile headlines in the tabloids with photos of celebrities, in bikini, stirring up hate and disgust. It’s a form of control; it’s a way to control the way people think. And most of all there is MONEY in being ageist.

The thing about aging is that, if we’re lucky, it WILL happen to us. To denigrate, undervalue or insult someone for how they look as they age is inviting the same to happen to us as the inevitable happens. How utterly ridiculous.

Watch out for the next blog in which I expose high profile brands for not promoting aging beautifully (and desperately search around for brands that do…)