I saw two excellent HBO documentaries this Labor Day weekend, seemingly unrelated. On Sunday, Youth Knows No Pain and then The Last Truck: The Closing of a GM Plant on Monday.
The former is an exploration of the US’s cult of youth by way of Restalyn, Botox, eye lifts and a zillion other quasi-medical treatments to not look one’s age. It’s a pretty brilliant title. First off, all of these treatments are painful, how expensive they are is the least of which. But the result, to look younger, should take some of the pain of life — of being old — away, right? One of the youth-obsessed women quotes Nora Ephron: if I knew what I know now, I would have wore a bikini every day of my 26th year. Ha! Yes, I hear that sister.
The sage quoting Ephron here is Julia Allison who, when she was 26, read that and built a philosophy around it, Botoxing regularly among other age-defying procedures. She’s hot, true as blue. But as we see Julia’s derm stick needles in her face it’s clear that she’s a pathetic hot girl, obsessed with her looks, shallow, self-absorbed and myopic. She can barely look up from herself long enough to faintly disdain her best friend in the doctor’s office.
It’s true, youth is wasted on the young. But of all the things that youth wastes on the young, looks hardly make my top 10. Knowing what I know now I would have worked harder, been more honest with myself, respected myself more, demanded more from my friends, my lovers, demanded more from myself. Maybe I would have worn more bikinis too. No, actually Nora, I wore just the right amount of bikinis.
And then tonight, the doc about the GM plant. It’s winter in Dayton and the workers are red-faced, clad in down and work boots and unflattering jeans. Most of them cry on camera on the final day in the life of their plant. They take group photos with the last car on the line. The women don’t wear make up as they heave tools into their trucks. The men use the word love over and over. Dammit they’re OLD.
Maybe it’s because the subjects are filmed so lovingly here, they all are so fucking beautiful. And not beautiful in some nobility-of-the-proletariat way, though there’s that too. But they’re hot, sexy, vibrant. They work hard and have an emotional connection to their people, their lives. And clearly they have better sex than Julia Allison.
New Angeles Monthly, June 2008
Weekend America, March 30, 2008
Los Angeles Times, March 13, 2008
Los Angeles Times, March 6, 2008
Nil by Mouth is written by Neille Ilel. Neille is a writer, reporter and user interface specialist in Los Angeles. If you think that's a lot, she's also got a host of meandering sidelines including improv comedy, tennis, cooking, drawing and thinking about learning to play the guitar.
Nil is her given name. It's a long story.
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I’m your friendly, neighborhood devil’s advocate here. I had a childless female friend who suddenly came into plenty of money. She began a slow but careful usage of the anti-aging regimen, some of which you mentioned. In her new world, rich 50 can look like much better than poor 30 and while Julia Allison may be kind of lame, better, well, is better.
That said, nice work.
Ah, age has given you wisdom and wit. Speaking of Julias, in Julia and Julia, the older Julia has better sex too. And is sweeter to her husband too. hmmmm. Luckily we ladies peak later than the men so we can enjoy all that wisdom…
Most of your snap shots about the swimsuit celebraties seem to be wonderful. You have done an admirable job addressing the newest fashions for 2010. Summer vacation will be here just before all of us know it and you may all be on the search for swimsuits which includes ones in all the piece. Sports Illustrated basically announced the bathing suit edition and we are going to just about all be browsing for bikinis which includes bikiniss as part of your actual story.
Many of your photographs while using swimwear types are inclined to become great. You’ve executed a good task accounting with the newest designs for 2010. The summer time time is normally at this level properly ahead of several people are aware of it and people are likely to all be fighting to discover swimsuits such as the design as part of your doc. Physical activities Illustrated just just produced out the swimwear edition and that we will all be from the marketplace for bikinis including the bikinis of this report.
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“Oh, I’m sorry–” Something more than consternation on her face; there was
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The boots stopped in front of his cell.
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or in their bedrooms or their labs. Still, the man with his face in the soup . .
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enlarge his living space-he felt like an interloper already, but he liked them .
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The 2010 Olympics is on and the 2012 Summer Olympics are around the corner … Where can I search for speedos sponsered by Olympic Athletes ?
getting old is the worst. Your sight and hearing goes, and nothing works the way it should…And what gets you the most is those dang kids won’t stay off your grass.
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