Madonna is fifty years old today. Which is still older than me.

I have been reading about her iconicness and what a great example she is to all we women of a “certain age”*. She is our holy grail. 

If only.

I don’t want to look like a fifty year old who looks like she could pass for forty with the proper lighting and a bit of distance (and a good photo-shopping). And I certainly don’t want to look like someone who works too hard to maintain a passing resemblence to youth because here is where the over forty female cliches come in.

• being thin is youthful (a thin twenty something and a thin forty something look NOTHING alike)
• concealer actually conceals (nothing really it just makes one look older sans proper lighting)
• dressing age appropriate (what does that mean anymore?)

I recently saw a photo of her in a tabloid at the grocery. She was being admired for her hardbody, and I will give her that. The woman is tight but in a scary cadaverous sort of way like Kelly Ripa or Sarah Jessica Parker.

If I am going to emulate something, why would it be her? She talks a good game about health and such but if you look at her face closely – the eyes – you see someone who is haunted. Running to keep pace and knowing all the while she isn’t.