It's true-9! We recently moved into a 55+ active adult community just South of Charlotte, NC and you would not believe the money people are putting into upgrades in their new homes...plantation blinds at every window, faux painting on the walls, new furnishings, expensive custom made drapes, tiled screened porches and patios.
Damn! Uncle Oskie, Aunt Helen, Cousin Bruce, Aunt Minnie, Willie the Tagger, Spacklin' Dave, the Fartucci Twins and I could make a killing down there!
Add to that, many of these folks are driving their late model cars while going out to dinner several nights a week and you get the picture--these Senior Citizens seem to have plenty of spending power!
But seriously. We live in an ageist society. "Thin, young and beautiful" is the rage. Same as it ever was. When we were 30, we just didn't know it.
It seems the ideal age to advertsiers is 39-49. Husbands and wives begin to amass a few bucks, the kids are nearly grown, life's good. After 50, gravity begins taking its toll on men and women. I pay as much attention to the commercials on the nightly news as I do the news. Commercials for Ambien, arthritis, blood pressure, psychotropic medications and E-D potions abound. It's almost embarrassing.
Much as I like music from the 50s, 60s and 70s, I sometimes wonder why men and women who are 50+ so staunchly gravitate toward Oldies. It's as if music stopped at 1978. I like U-2, the Police, Aerosmith and some of the music from John Mayer, Nora Jones, Christina Aguilera, Dave Matthews, Bare Naked Ladies and other groups that have had hits in the 90's and within the last few years. Just as much as the music, I like the ATTITUDES of some of these bands, singers and groups.
It's weird. He's older that dust, but one of Uncle Oskie's favorite songs is "Unskinny Bop" by Poison. Go figure.
As I write, I'm listening to My Back Pages by the Byrds. The next songs up will be Radioactive by the Firm, Take Me To The River by Talking Heads and Bernadette by the Four Tops.
About three months ago, I was at a small dinner get-together where this 57 year old women starts in about how she loves oldies (music), how wonderful Elvis was and how bad music is these days. She made me wanna puke. If she only knew how OLD she sounded, like our parents who couldn't understand the Beatles. I wanted to tell her Elvis died "ass-up in his bathroom," but that would have been unduly cruel and would've disrespected The King.
Yet, there she was in her stirup stretch pants, looking like she ate half a cow and crowing LOUDLY about how great the sixties were. Even though I'm not his biggest fan, I said Kanye West is every bit as creative as Paul McCartney. Y'know what she says? "I never liked
the Beatles." As if THAT was the definitive rebuttal to my statement. "Yeah, you were probably a big fan of the Monkees, Freddie and the Dreamers and Herman's Hermits," I subtly derided. "Ooooo," she damn near squealed, "I lovvved the Monkees."
Gee, why am I not surprised?
I poured another very cold Blue Lite and walked to the other room, where guys were talking about snowmobiles, telling jokes about Dubya and Cheney and watching the Sabres game. Meanwhile, I'm checking out the crown molding and wallpaper scheme of the room, knowing the home-owner did the job himself... and a damn fine job at that.
Some guy asks me about sixties bands and for kicks, I bring up Psychotic Reaction by Count Five, Let It All Hang Out by the Hombres and the 13th Floor Elevators who had a cup of coffee with a song called "You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone," which was used few months back in a computer commercial.
Another guy, who's had too many Genny's bets me I can't name the group that did Bread & Butter. "Newbeats," I deadpan in about half a second, adding, "is that the best you can do?" I'm kinda torqued by the the fat lady in stirup pants' 'tude, so I'm loaded for bear with the guys in this room, but I'm staying low key and fuzzy.
"How 'bout White Rabit?" some guy says. "Are you kidding me?" I reply. "Jefferson AIRplane." I'm ready to have some fun, "OK," I say, "who did Respect before Aretha had a hit with it?"
Blank faces.
"Here's a clue... it was a guy... and he WROTE the song... and he had a hit with another song about watching the tide roll away..."
"James Brown?"
Wahuh??!
"Otis Redding," I say, in a low key tone. Nobody likes a smart ass know it all. I don't wanna get too heady here... these guys know me as a house painter more than an ex-radio guy.
Another guy brings up Motown and the conversation is off to the races... I head back to the kitchen for another Blue. Women are talking about color schemes, wallpaper and kitchen cabinets. And Ms. Stirup-pants-Monkees-lover is crowing about her new bathroom, on which one of our competitors underbid us. I just hope they re-inforced the underlay beneath the toilet, but I know they didn't. Ms. Monkees Lover could be in for a surprise when she sits down some day... kinda like The King.
