Michelle, age discrimination and young love
Age-Shaming is a common phenomenon in social media. Older women with younger partners have to endure hate and shame. This week's celebrity column with an appeal against idiots and for more respect.
Everyone wants to grow old, but most prefer not to be reminded of their age, and welcome to another weekly celebrity column! Have you been called "old" from the side today, dear reader? Age-Shaming is rampant in social media. I must confess, as a teenager, I used to think 30-year-olds were old farts (and -ettes, of course).
Now, however, I can only smile when I read reports about people getting upset when they are called "grandma" or "grandpa," as if grandparents are all senile and not intellectually capable. My grandmother, for instance, was only 42 years old when her granddaughter was born. And Michelle Hunziker is also a "grandma."
However, using such terms to demean people based on their age is, to put it mildly, quite pathetic. Since many people do this, it's important to point out how absurd the masses can be. Men can be 234 years old and dating 18-year-olds: Leonardo DiCaprio's "girlfriends" are rarely older than 25, Brad Pitt is still the unattainable sexy beau at 60, and H.P. Baxxter's wife is a whole 35 years younger than the Scooter frontman.
An older woman loves a younger man: Scandal!
You may think you know what's coming next: The columnist is once again outraged about the injustice that women who have younger partners often face hate and shame, despite all the talk of great equality.
A prime example: Model Heidi Klum and her husband Tom Kaulitz. They have been married for years. There has been less mockery than usual in all that time. On the contrary. And now Heidi is also over 50! Even singer Michelle, who has been living on Earth for 52 quarters of a century, is dating a younger partner. A quarter of a century separates them and their music colleague Eric Philippi. Scandal!
Since they made their love public, hardly a day goes by without them being attacked in the net. As you might imagine, most of the disgusting comments are aimed at the woman and her age: "Grandma," in a "wheelchair" with an "old mumu," being carried to bed by a "young carer." Women, not just men, form a lively hate front against the singer. You can argue that such nonsense is due to youthful recklessness and a lower IQ, but I believe that's too simplistic.
I wonder what drives women to insult other women based on their age, appearance, or feelings? Is it an additional mixture of a lack of empathy and a bad upbringing, combined with the group dynamics of celebrating their own bullying in the net? The happy couple, however, has the perfect response to hate and trolling on the internet. They show the virtual mob their most valuable asset in a post together: Love. Michelle writes: "A heartfelt apology to all people who think they must insult others in the worst possible way to feel better! Remember love!"
## "Over 40 and counting down? Shame on you!"
A comment under the post of the loving couple resonates with many: "I don't know why certain people make the age of others seem disrespectful. What will they be themselves one day? Over 40 and counting down? Shame on you! We all wish to be healthy enough to truly grow old one day."
Dear Reader, regardless of your age: I hope you are healthy and able to celebrate life at every age. We have so many problems in this world. Many things are literally going down the drain, and the way people behave in social media says a lot about our society.
A society that, like public broadcasting, wants to rejuvenate itself and desperately tries to appeal to a new, youthful audience. Unfortunately, the target group of "the elderly" is always equated with the grandmother who sits on the sofa with knitting needles and watches "The Love Boat" or dances to songs by Florian Silbereisen.
All these (still) young crackpots, they will look back when they - "one day, baby" - are old. "For a young person, life is an infinitely long future; for an old person, it is a very short past." (Schopenhauer) Until next week!
In contrast to the stereotypical view of older individuals, entertainers like Michelle Hunziker and Heidi Klum prove that age is just a number, continuing to impress with their success in Schlagern music and celebrity relationships. Despite their age and their choice of younger partners, they face criticism and vilification online, highlighting the persistent issue of age-shaming in society.
