An Observation

Something I've noticed recently is cosmetic adverts. I've previously generally ignored them because firstly they're not aimed at me and second I find the pseudo pop science twaddle in them mind numbing. Yet something has cropped up in them the last year or so that has made me sit up and take note of them (and not in the way the advertisers want either) and it is this; there seems to be an implication that having cosmetic surgery in middle age is now some how standard, that it's just what you do. Now the reason for this is, I imagine, a marketing tool to say "look, save yourself the expense, just buy our snake oil instead". It may be more subtle than that (I'm no advertising exec after all) but it has a worrying effect. It leaves women, although probably some men as well, of a certain age feeling uncomfortable with how they look and under valued when how they look is simply how a 40, 50 or 60 year old woman or man looks.

And why should anyone be made to feel bad about growing older? It happens to us all and is just part of life's adventure. Maybe it's easy for me as I'm still 30, in reasonable shape and yet to see any grey hairs (that's not to say I'm perfect, losing 10 pounds would probably do me no harm at all) but I do resent advertisers implying that anyone should have to change to fit their image of what "normal" is.