01 Jun THE SELL-BY DATE

THE SELL-BY DATE

Written by Jay Harris

Hello lovely readers,
how are you? Coping well in these troubled times, we here at GIAGIORDANO.COM hope.
Yes, this hideous ‘Cor-droning-a Virus’ still persists in our daily doings and we continue to try and live as normal as possible, whatever one deems as ‘normal.’
It’s tough, worrying and scary I’ll admit, for me anyway. We also have a dollop of political scandals with a topping of unrest and military attacks , which, for the humane among us find to be saddening and unnecessary, so, we plod on and try to be our best selves whilst attempting to solve the world’s problems!

Enough about me….

As well as artistically creative and really quite talented, Gia has a very intelligent and inquiring mind. Being extremely perceptive, in conversation, a topic that came up, interestingly, was that of the age-old question, ‘Why are women treated more harshly than men?’ In particular, the chasms created in lifestyle choices, looks, attitude and image.
For example, in September 1993 a certain tabloid emblazoned a headline screaming ‘GIVE IT UP GRANDMA’ in reference to Madonna’s hit spectacular tour entitled ‘The Girlie Show,’ despite said performer just turning 36 years old.
There it is, not just Grandma but the word ‘OLD.‘

https://twitter.com/D_Roosh/status/1244243297645797376/photo/1

This is a recurring theme that has delighted Madonna haters (I call them the jealous ones) throughout her nearly 40-year career, yet she can outdo, physically and mentally, the vast majority of the jealous ones whose task seems solely, with fervent venom, to bring her down.

Then, you will have MALE artists, for example, Mick Jagger, Ozzy Osbourne, Paul McCartney and Sting- absolutely ADORED and ADMIRED with hardly a mention at all of their age.
Elton John will SIT, at a piano, occasionally bumping his heiny up and down with fervour, wearing his current toupee of choice, belting out the same-old, same-old back catalogue, slightly repackaged, and be accredited with praise and fanfare? He is 74 years old with a husband nigh on twenty years his junior yet not ONCE is his appearance, bitchy attitude or younger husbands AGE ever mentioned?
My question is why?
You can literally watch any action movie of choice these days to see the lead, such as Liam Neeson or Gerard Butler’s partner or wife, portrayed by an actress much younger, and that is socially acceptable, and championed, yet, should it be the other way round, society would mostly rage, ‘she’s far too OLD to have such a young boyfriend!’

https://www.bbc.uk/news/business-54080397

This is truth in real life also, any older man sporting a much younger lady on his arm is instantly hailed as a true man, a hero, a legend, a gent, but turn that around to a woman with a younger man in hand and she’ll be instantly quizzed about her motives, sanity or set upon as desperate and/or slightly mad!
Why on earth is that? 
Michael Douglas marries Catherine Zeta Jones, he is 76, she is 51, (Zeta-Jones was 28 at the time and Douglas was 53) and by all accounts he is a very nice man and that marriage was undoubtedly celebrated by the media!
Why?
Madonna marries (unfortunately for her) Guy Ritchie, who was only ten years her junior and she is called an alarmingly despicable amount of cruel names?
Why?
Incidentally, Ritchie would demean Madonna, allegedly, for her age and go on to marry his current wife who is 13 years HIS junior. Let’s all hope (cough cough) she doesn’t start to belittle him about their difference in age!

Are you still there? My question is, why in our modern age, is this STILL a thing?
Everywhere you turn, especially in the media, familiar female faces are gradually diminished from our screens or fashion spreads, replaced by supposedly ‘fresh’ faces!

https://thatsnotmyage.com/style-at-any-age/is-the-fashion-industry-ageist/

In an attempt to be shown as ‘woke’ and ‘diverse,’ outlets such as the BBC clamor to include everything it can, but that diversity does not include WOMEN of a certain age!
To probably pacify some in its scheduling criteria, they graciously (to much hype) gave former television personalities Angela Rippon, Gloria Hunniford, Jennie Bond and Julia Somerville their own daytime show called ‘Rip Off Britain.’ 
Just a half-hearted and lame attempt to silence critics.
Is that it?

Men are still centre stage, action heroes, sex symbols, presenters, news readers, a never-ending assault on masculinity, but women, at 50, are supposedly shoved somewhere else?
Where are they now? Do they all do lunch, dressed in tweed two sets, clutching pearls or knitting at home in a recliner listening to the Archers?
At 50, are they suddenly useless, sexless, dowdy, unimportant and unwanted?
From us, a resounding NO!
Whatever your age, you ARE YOU.

https://www.nbcnews.com/know-your-value/feature/not-done-yet-author-bonnie-marcus-how-women-over-50-ncna1263328

Society can take a hike, you matter, you have a voice! You dress as you wish, be as sexy as you wish, say what you feel.
Age is just a number! You’re only as old as the person you are feeling!
All those cliches but one thing remains, fellow humans…. Every single one of us has a RIGHT to represent ourselves in whatever way we choose, despite what the nay sayers shout.

YOU make a difference; we can ALL make a difference.
RESPECT AGE and the guts, willpower and strength it takes to get there.
It’s really rather simple you see, because the TRUTH is, God willing, that we will get there too.

“The fear of dying is human. The fear of aging is cultural. We are never ‘too old’ to be seen as ‘dope’.” Gia Giordano