Janet Collins
Billy MAge Will Not Weary Them
October 26th 2008 12:16
Madonna at 50
There’s nothing quite like age defying behaviour and Madonna is right up there in my books for not letting age get in the way of a good star turn. I have always greatly admired those who take life by the horns and run with it. Well known and unknown alike, these people just don’t have limitations. That's not what a lot of others think because there has been some pretty vicious commentary lately of Madonna going on tour.
Of course, it all started with husband Guy Ritchie’s supposed comment to her that she looked liked a granny on stage. There was probably no such comment but the critics had a field day anyway from her gyrations to her crotch grabbing and, heaven forbid, her turning FIFTY!!!
Certainly many commentators think she is well past being the rock star. An article in The Sydney Morning Herald went so far as to suggest she should grow old a little more gracefully like Helen Mirren, Joanna Lumley and Olivia Newtown-John. What the article didn’t say was that these women, all of whom I greatly admire, are doing what they always did – acting or singing and performing.
There are many more women nearing 50 or well past it who continue to show us that age is no reason to slow down. Australian writer Kathy Lette has just published another of her hilarious books based around turning 50. Another gem of a movie, The Women, has just been released in Australia starring Annette Bening and Sixty Minutes current affairs reporter Liz Hayes is now in her twelfth year as journalist on the show – no mean feat in any industry renowned for swapping the older and experienced for the young and spunky.
These are only a few of a long list of women who are turning or who have already turned 50 that includes Michelle Pfeiffer, Andy McDowell, Dawn French, Kate Bush, Jamie Lee Curtis and Jennifer Saunders. These women are hardly going to turn into wall flowers just because of the number of birthdays they have celebrated.
The difference of course is that Madonna built her fame on that of being a rock star and we expect rock stars to have a shelf life. What is forgotten here is that fan bases don’t completely disappear. Just as children do completely tire of nursery rhymes and pantomimes at some point, many adolescent fans of rock stars gradually fade away - but not all do, and I suspect many of Madonna’s current fans have grown old with her.
There was a time when women gave up work the minute they got married and women were married at a much younger age than they are now. Cooking, cleaning, keeping the house in order and caring for the children was what society expected a married woman to do.
We have come a long way since then, or have we? Now society’s limitations seem to be based entirely on age – a contradiction to what all the gurus over the last few decades have been preaching “the only limitations are in you”.
But life is full of contradictions. We continually hear about industry needing to retain people in the workforce long after they are due for retirement. Then we hear many workers referred to as being “past their used-by date”.
We continually promote “taking a chance” and when the chance doesn’t go to plan then we are labelled a fool. But one of the worst contradictions I think is our condemnation of Islamic men who insist their women cover their faces while we count and mock the wrinkles on the faces of the exposed western ones.
It wasn’t too long ago that a not too youthful Tina Turner was assigned the task of fronting a major campaign to revive rugby league here in Australia. Nobody seemed to mind her age and the campaign was rather successful after league had taken a big slump. Like Madonna, it was her gutsy performance that was her main attraction.
I always marvel at everyday older people too who still take on life with energy and stamina. Every year on my annual skiing trip I am always amazed at the number of late 60s and even 70s skiers who conquer all the highest slopes on the mountain, even the ungroomed ones.
Just as it’s a pleasure to watch older people dancing and singing and enjoying all that they can. A friend of mine’s mother who sadly passed away this year was always the hit of any party right into her 80s when she pulled out her feather bower, flirting with all the men – young and old” while performing “Big Spender”.
The irony of the whole age thing is that if we don’t pull out of life early for some reason we are all going to be elderly sometime. It’s about time we stopped thinking about age and years as the barrier we have made it and start appreciating people for what they can do.
So if Madonna keeps on touring when she finally does look like a granny I won’t mind at all. She’ll probably be in much better shape than anyone near her age anyway.
Are we ever really too old to sing, dance or even be a rock star if we have the talent and the drive? Oh, and did I mention - so far Madonna’s tour has been a great success. Out of the ones still to come in Buenos Aires, Santiago, Rio de Janiero and Sao Paulo, seven out of eleven of them are sold out!
Iimage courtesy of Queensland Newspapers
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Comment by RubySoho
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Comment by Janet Collins
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I just don't know what all the fuss about her taking to the stage again is about. Why not? She's still got it in her.
Thanks for visiting.
Janet
Comment by Cibbuano
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Comment by Cheryl J
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She would look smoking hot if she covered up just slightly. I'm closing in my my mid 40s and I consider myself quite young looking but sometimes I go to put something on and I just think, "Damn am I bordering on that mutton dressed as lamb thing?". It's made me rethink my wardrobe just a bit. I'm not 18 and I'd look ridiculous if I dressed like I was but I'm not a nanna either. You can look much better by tweaking things to cover the bad bits.
No matter how fit she is, her skin and arms etc are aging and it shows and it doesn't look hot. But her body shape is amazing! Slightly more coverage would have her outclassing women half her age but now she's starting to look like mutton.
Comment by Chris Champion
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I enjoyed this so much that I took the liberty of creating a post of my own recommending your post and pointing to it.
Great read.
Regards,
Chris
Comment by Janet Collins
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I too can only be inspired by these people. It makes me feel much younger and that there's really plenty to do in life if we really want to.
Janet
Comment by Janet Collins
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You are probably correct in a sense but I love it that Madonna just doesn't give a damn. She's still got the body and is keen to flaunt it. The critics were pretty vicious on this one, many of whom could probably not sing a note or reach anywhere near performing on stage. Do we have these "lines" for ageing male rock stars do you think or doesn't it matter when it comes to them?
Thanks a lot.
Janet
Comment by Cheryl J
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Madonna is definitely a hottie at any age.
Comment by Janet Collins
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It's a good feeling when someone actually enjoys reading something that you have written. I cherish your comments and you wanting to share it on your own blog.
A big thank you!
Janet
Comment by Mister Smith
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Comment by Janet Collins
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But can you tell me where the line is for men - that line where they can't be overtly sexual anymore without vicious criticism?
Janet
Comment by Mister Smith
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KISS in lycra!! I agree....scary.
Janet
Comment by Someone
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I'm thinking it's less about age, and more anything-that-isn't-perfect. My prediction is that as the pretty boy acts (e.g. boy bands) start getting old, we'll see more of this directed at men.
As to the popularity of the Stones, it's not hard to explain. All they play is old music. Just like with Madonna, their fan base is aging with them, and instead of trying to stay relevant and attract new fans, they are just playing the old favourites to their old fans.
Comment by Janet Collins
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I know they will find anything they can. Maybe age was all they could get her on.
Thank you for your thoughts.
Comment by D. Armenta
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Well, I'll admit that I posted part of a pretty scathing review from the Buffalo Beast about Madonna's latest as a comment on another post about her. This wasn't criticism of her ability as a performer, though-it was a comment on her continuing with the same image she had been using since she was 20.
Although I've never been a fan of Madonna's music, I've admired her attitude since (circa)1983. Scandal-mongers in the U.S. came out with nude photos taken in pre-famous times for both Madonna and the new Miss America, Vanessa Williams.
Vanessa's reaction was typical of a lot of famous Americans--tears, regret, apologies and excuses. Her title was taken away from her and her budding career as a singer took a nosedive.
Madonna's reaction, on the other hand, was awesome to me: "Yeah, I posed nude. What's your point?"
Her career was just taking off then, and we all know how that turned out. I still think that if Vanessa had adopted that attitude, her career wouldn't have taken so long to recover..and who cares about keeping a Miss America crown anyway?
I'm a professional musician, perform onstage weekly, but I don't dress the same way I did when I was 40. I still have the body shape, but wearing tight/revealing clothes at 48 makes me feel like I'm presenting a pathetic figure--a person not to be taken seriously. I know I certainly cringed when I saw performers in their late 40s still trying to preserve the youth image--male and female! I embrace my maturity, revel in the fact that I'm no longer judged by my appearance-that used to always piss me off.
Boy, I do run on, don't I? Sorry about that....
Comment by Janet Collins
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Most of us haven't got her body anyway so it's a bit hard to compare really. It should take more than a few wrinkles to cross this line every one talks about.
Anyway, the success of the concerts in spite of all the criticism says enough.
Thank you for dropping by.