I love Paulina Porizkova. I loved her in the 80s at the height of her fame and gorgeousness. I loved her a couple of seasons ago as a judge on “America’s Next Top Model.” She didn’t stay and I don’t know the specifics of it, but if I had to guess, I’d imagine there was more than a little bit of jealousy on Tyra’s part. Paulina is beautiful and smart and shoots straight and I have a sneaking suspicion that Tyra does not share her Queen Bee status willingly.
But I just found this article from Paulina on aging. It’s smart and honest and, well, I just like her, is all. At one point, she simultaneously compliments and throws Sarah Palin under the bus, and although I’m no huge fan of Palin’s, I still found it a bit of a clang — the only clang for me in an otherwise engaging and transparent piece.
Here’s a tiny bit:
When you’re used to one sort of treatment, it’s really hard to get demoted, even if that new treatment is still better than the average. Boohoo. I know. My life is sucks. Now, I don’t actually know the exact cut-off age where beautiful ceases and “must have-once-been-beautiful” begins. It’s true it’s not forty-five. I can still get attention when I try really hard, even if it’s greatly reduced. But would I ever have dreamed that I would miss the time I couldn’t walk past a construction site unmolested? These days when someone whistles at me, it’s mostly a bike messenger about to mow me down.
It’s definitely worth a read. Check it out, pippa.
Interesting article. I think one of the most beautiful things a woman can possess is confidence. There is just something about a woman who is comfortable with who she is and isn’t afraid to be herself both in looks and personality. My co-workers made fun of me one day because I said that Queen Latifah is beautiful. I was fine with that because I know I’m right and they’re pathetic skin deep types.
At 56 I think Katey Sagal is more beautiful than ever. Thanks to Sons of Anarchy she remains one of my celebrity crushes still working. I haven’t seen Paulina since the early 90’s but I bet she still looks great.
Paulina does look great and she’s pretty darn intelligent, too.
I found it interesting that she says she lacks confidence. She’s famous, she’s beautiful, and she still lacks confidence. I appreciate that she’s willing to admit that.
What a good article. This bit really spoke to me:
“The beauty of age was supposed to be about the wisdom acquired and with it, an acceptance and celebration of who you are. Now all we want for people to see is that we have not yet attained that wisdom. Aging has become something to fight, not something to accept.”
I hate that about being a woman “of a certain age” today. I hate that various family members actively encourage me to strive for a younger look, including coloring my hair (“because the gray makes you look so old”). I hate that friends talk about going blonde to hide the grey, as though blonde is inevitable (“We all lighten our hair eventually.”) I have dark, dark brown hair and the skin tone that goes with it; do you know how stupidly fake blonde hair would look on me?
I don’t hate aging at all, I hate that we’re expected and encouraged to fight it off like it’s our worst enemy.
She also totally hit the nail on the head when she observed that once people start getting things done, they don’t stop. It’s probably addictive.
(Brian, it is so wrong that you got made fun of for such a great choice! Love her–she seems beautiful inside and out.)
She’s always been known as one of the smartest “supermodels”
The link below kind of shows that:
http://www.modelinia.com/videos/get-to-know—paulina-porizkova/219
“I don’t hate aging at all, I hate that we’re expected and encouraged to fight it off like it’s our worst enemy.”
The culture we live in is so youth obsessed that there is a stigma attached to looking your age! I really hate this…..
My hats off to you Random Thoughts.
I recently read that piece too – I love her! I loved her as a judge on ANTM too – she could be brutal, but always struck me as honest.