Blowing Steam: Real Women Don’t Look Like This

I need to blow a little steam about yesterdays ABC News Entertainment segment called Fabulous Over 40; a slide show of “sexy” over 40 Hollywood celebrities. I’m very aware that a woman’s self confidence in midlife is largely affected by the images she sees in the media – images no real woman could live up to.

The ABC news slide show tells us nothing of the powerful transitions these women are making in midlife but instead emphasizes the physical perfection these starlets have maintained through the years. A physical perfection undoubtedly enhanced by cosmetic surgery, computer retouching, airbrushing or any combination of the aforementioned. What’s fabulous about that?

Yes, we want Hollywood to stop putting actresses out to pasture at 40. Yes, we want Hollywood to stop placing higher value on aging male actors than females. But, we also want the media to realize the role you play in a woman’s self esteem. When you flash these images of women like Bo Derek, Iman, Jennifer Lopez, Elle McPherson, Sarah Jessica Parker as the ideal 40+ female beauties, they should come with a disclaimer “The images you see are not real. They have been digitally enhanced to achieve our idea of perfection.” C’mon, no one looks like this! Even Cindy Crawford once said “I wish I looked like Cindy Crawford.”

I can’t compete with the Photoshop woman and I don’t want to. Instead, I choose to be me; strong, tall, imperfect, and FABULOUS!