Last week, I watched a new episode of "Law and Order, Special Victim Unité, called Bedtime. It was, as always, very well written, but what struck me were the guest stars. Four of suspects were former well-known actresses in their 60s - two of them I hadn't seen in years.
Morgan Fairchild was known in the 80s, when I was growing up, and Jaclyn Smith, who played Kelly Garrett in Charlie's Angels. I was in shock when I saw them. Not because they had aged (that much, I actually expected) but because they had not. Well, in fact, they did look different. Just not their age. Of course, I quickly realized that this was the result of plastic surgery. Only it looked really bad.
Morgan Fairchild, who was never the most expressive "actress" in the world looked even more impassive and callous than in her youth. Look at this picture from the show, does she look like a 60 year old woman? Well, does she look like a real person. It's reall awful.
But I am even more disappointed at Jaklyn Smith since I had a crush on her when I was a little boy.
In her case, it is not so much that she is expressionless, it is that.... there is something about her mouth that just does not look quite right. Kind of remind me of Michael Jackson. Seriously. It's just not right.
In her case, it is not so much that she is expressionless, it is that.... there is something about her mouth that just does not look quite right. Kind of remind me of Michael Jackson. Seriously. It's just not right.I don't get it. Why do so many actresses have to do that? It shows and the result is horrible. As I am getting older, I find that there is a lot of charm in a few wrinkles here and there, but I also see how awful the alternative if plastic surgery usually is. It take away human feature and makes women like like manikins.
I can see why a few changes might help but anything major like what these actresses did is indignant. It makes their faces so impassive that they can't even show one weenie bit of emotion.
Of course, this is not only American. French actresses do it too (Catherine Deneuve is a good case in point), but it seems to me that age is more acceptable in Europe. Maybe that has to do with being an old continent.
I can see why a few changes might help but anything major like what these actresses did is indignant. It makes their faces so impassive that they can't even show one weenie bit of emotion.
Of course, this is not only American. French actresses do it too (Catherine Deneuve is a good case in point), but it seems to me that age is more acceptable in Europe. Maybe that has to do with being an old continent.
2 comments:
The result must not have seemed that awful to the producers, since they got cast for the roles...
I have been wondering for somevtime now about whether American audiences are more used to plastic surgery: I always flinch upon seeing the half-melon-like breasts of very young and skinny actresses. Maybe the American TV watchers didn't notice anything amiss about the two cases you describe.
It's too bad that people aren't comfortable with aging naturally. Plastic surgery, at least to the extent of your examples, can make people pretty scary looking. It's a vicious cycle of being young and wanted to be tanned and wear a lot of makeup. The affects of the sun on your skin and the chemicals of makeup make you look much older than you actually are, at a later age.
On a Law and Order note, my wife and I are huge fans. I just recently found out about Law and Order UK! Only available on torrents, unless you live in the UK. Its a great British twist on a great show. They actually picked the best episodes of Law and Order US and remade them for the first two seasons in the UK. Being a Chelsea FC fan, I can't get enough UK in my life.
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