9021-Oh Dear
Was anyone else concerned by EW’s cover of Jennie Garth and Shannen Doherty?
Now:
About 14 years ago:
Doherty looks strangely the same, plus as if she needs a sandwich, or five. Garth’s face looks suspiciously tight. These women are only in their mid-thirties. Plastic surgery to make them look like their original-90210 selves is pretty extreme, and depressing.
One of my readers, SmallWorld Reads, commented about the movie Mamma Mia! that the movie characters, played by actors between 48 to 59, were significantly older than the characters’ ages in the play, which were supposed to be about 40ish.
I think 30-40 actors often won’t play parents because of the stigma of aging. Though her reps deny it, Rachel Weisz reportedly refused to reprise her Mummy role because she wouldn’t play the mother of the new 20yo character. (Weisz claims to have been born in 1971. A good friend of mine was in secondary school with her, and says she’s shaved a few years off.) Also, the age of parents goes up each year. I had my son Drake when I was 35, Guppy at 38. I’ll be 58 (about Meryl Streep’s age, now) when Guppy is 20. So 60 is the new 40, 40 is the new 30, and 30s are the new 90210.
Does that make 80 the new dead?
(Thanks, I think, to JV for the joke, which is ironic, since JV and his wife Rock Hack were the most fervent 90210-riginal fans I know.)
September 19th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
I think Jennie Garth seems to be aging well (and I would say naturally), but Doherty looks ROUGH. I think Courtney Cox is quoted as having said that at some point as an actress, you have to choose between your ass and your face (the idea being that if you want a small, firm butt, your face is likely going to look taught and skeletal)… I guess Doherty chose her ass (and yes, I’m sure there’s a joke (or 20) to be made there!).
September 19th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Weisz left Mummy 3 because of how bad the script was, not because of the age of the son. that was made up by the director because he wanted to bad mouth Rachel for not doing the film.
September 20th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
I find this stuff disturbing, too, particularly in the light of trying to raise two daughters to feel good about their bodies, live a healthy lifestyle, and not get sucked into the idiocy of advertising and Hollywood images. It’s a bit depressing!
September 23rd, 2008 at 1:25 pm
I don’t think Garth looks natural. Some of the pics, like these, look particularly fake. I love the comment about choosing between the ass and the face, though. Elle magazine recently had an article on the “new” plastic surgery. Old school was to tighten what was sagging. New school is to plump out what’s become gaunt.
Jasper, the Weisz thing is he said/she said. I think she’s a great actress–her work in The Constant Gardener wowed me. The reviews of Mummy 3 were lousy, so I believe and applaud her refusal on that ground. But it’s not either/or. If she did adjust the age on her bio, as my friend who went to school with her claims, that makes me thinkboth might be true.
Finally, this week’s Entertainment Weekly has a bit on the new 90210 and how the young actresses are all way too skinny. BaOT, it makes me feel for those who are raising daughters! I had problems with my weight and eating when I was a teen, and there was nowhere near the pressure and prevalence of unrealistic stereotypes there are now.
September 24th, 2008 at 8:50 am
I have watched the new 90210 (the Closer season ended and I have a void on my DVR) and I am shocked at all the skinny plastic actresses. Here are my thoughts: First, I still think Rob Estes might be one of the sexiest men alive, though he plays the same role here that he did on Melrose and Silk Stalkings… he is NOT a versatile actor. Second, the young girls are skeletal and the ‘moms’ are all botoxed to the point of idiocy. Third, Kelly/Brenda are still arguing about Dylan (Kelly has his illegitimate baby) and they both look ridiculous. SD has the craziest pair of fake boobs ever. JG has had face work done but I think it was a simple eye lift and tons of botox. They are MY AGE for heaven sake! It is sad.
The new version of Mrs. Walsh is played by Lori Laughlin (of Full House fame) and I think she looks lovely; the most natural of the bunch. Plus, she gets to make out with Rob… LUCKY DUCK!
The Soap Network runs the old reruns of the original Beverly Hills 90120. I find it so funny to watch now… the drama is SO fake. And Tori Spelling is just such as waste. Still, there was something kinda sexy about Brandon, and Emily Valentine (Christine Elise) added lots of flavor to the show.