Meryl Streep is absolutely wonderful, isn’t she? She’s always killing it both as an actor and an awesome human being, so I always listen to what she has to say (seriously – when I went to a press conference for August, Osage Country last year I nearly cried with joy just looking at her in front of me). This time around, she’s talking about youth and how our culture is so obsessed with being young.
“I would say our culture is pretty youth-obsessed,” the Oscar winner, 65, told PEOPLE at the Disney movie musical’s premiere Monday night. “Especially people that pass 40.”
Streep says when she turned the big 4-0, her acting prospects looked pretty bleak.
“When I was 40, I was offered three witch [roles]. I was not offered any female adventurers or love interests or heroes or demons,” she recalls. “I was offered witches because I was ‘old’ at 40.”
“Things have changed since then, I think,” she says. “That was 25 years ago. Now there’s so much more interesting stuff available. But still … ” she trails off.
I can totally see/hear her saying all this. She does this thing when she’s talking where it’s like her brain has so many thoughts that she goes off into another world, trying to figure out how to put what she wants to say perfectly. Sorry, I stan for Meryl.
What do you think? Are we too obsessed with youth? Is it getting better? Are you terrified of getting old?
Absolutely. It’s become socially acceptable for men in their 50s-60s to trade their wives in for a newer model. Juvaderm and Botox now take out low-brow ads in tabloids, and on websites. It seems the VS Angels get younger and younger every year. Look at makeup shelves; everything’s BB this and CC that, while you’re supposed to use to use the “super-duper effective” night cream as well to stave off those “unsightly” wrinkle and lines that come from…. experiencing life.
I use Ariana Grande as an example. She’s a strange juxtaposition of a young woman who is far beyond her years (not in the good way) in her maturity and sexuality. Her handlers will pimp her out as long as she stays ripe, but the second she hits her expiration date, she’ll be right there with LILO and Mischa Barton
i have to agree with her.. not to mention agree with you she is amazing and i love her and what she is for… though i am not scared of getting old i have learned to roll with the punches so to speak
Without looking at her IMDb I thought her career peak was between 40 and 50 yrs. old? But she is a different animal most females have troubles after 40 getting work see Melanie Griffith Julia Roberts Diane Lane etc.
Everything ad they sell today always eithers begins or ends with “will make you look and feel younger”! Sometimes they make you feel embarrassed that your getting older! In some cultures the elders are looked upon as sacred, here you feel once you hit 35 it’s all over for you! But hey guess what, we’re all getting older!