Goddess
Thursday, 17 July 2008
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Because you can't have depths without surfaces.
Linda Grant, thinking about clothes, books and other matters.
Linda Grant, thinking about clothes, books and other matters.
About me
Linda Grant is a novelist and journalist. She won the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2000 and the Lettre Ulysses Prize for Literary Reportage in 2006. She writes for the Guardian, Telegraph and Vogue. Her latest novel, The Clothes on Their Backs was shortlisted for the 2008 Man Booker Prize. For further information including upcoming literary festivals bookstore readings etc see her website at www.lindagrant.co.uk
My other blog
Buchmendel - some words from books
Books by Linda Grant
- The Thoughtful Dresser Non-Fiction 2009)
- For further information see www.linda.grant.co.uk
- The Clothes on Their Backs (Fiction 2008)
- The People on the Street (Winner of the Lettre Ulysses Prize for Literary Reportage 2006)
- Still Here (Fiction 2002)
- When I Lived in Modern Times (Winner of the Orange Prize for Fiction 2000)
- Remind Me Who I Am Again (Non-fiction 1998)
- The Cast Iron Shore (Fiction 1996)
- Sexing the Millenium (Non-Fiction 1993)
This blog believes
'A good handbag makes the outfit.'
'Only the rich can afford cheap shoes'
'The only thing worse than being skint is looking as if you're skint.'
'A new dress is a great help in all circumstances.' (Noel Streatfeild)
'The only true and lasting meaning of the struggle for life lies in the individual, in his modest peculiarities and his right to these peculiarities.' (Vasily Grossman, Life and Fate.)
'Only the rich can afford cheap shoes'
'The only thing worse than being skint is looking as if you're skint.'
'A new dress is a great help in all circumstances.' (Noel Streatfeild)
'The only true and lasting meaning of the struggle for life lies in the individual, in his modest peculiarities and his right to these peculiarities.' (Vasily Grossman, Life and Fate.)
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12 comments:
Goddess? Yes, she has a lovely figure; toned and curvy. Would that I looked like that now, let alone at 63! However, she never had children and she clearly takes care of herself in a number of ways. She obviously goes to the gym, she's probably never been fat and she may even have had some surgery. And fair play to her; an actress' body is one of the tools of her trade. If she needs to keep it looking a certain way then she should do whatever she needs to do that she's comfortable with.
For me the best part of this picture is not how good her body looks, but her evident ease and self-confidence. I don't see why a woman of 63 shouldn't wear a red bikini if she feels good in it. But if she had a wobbly stomach and was still happy to be seen in her red bikini, would you still be calling her a goddess then?
I don't believe Helen Mirren has had surgery.
She's wonderful! I've been a fan since seeing her playing Cleopatra with the National Youth Theatre way back (I'd just started in 6th form I think) - possibly 1967 or thereabouts. And there, of course, she was a young woman playing a much older one. Quite brilliant!
That she still looks so amazing is an inspiration to us all.
Thanks for the picture.
Mary, why do you believe that Ms Mirren never had surgery? And more to the point, why would it be wrong if she had?
Sorry! - re above - it was 1965.
What's a couple of years lost between friends?
Oh dear, we're into all the surgery stuff again. Obviously I don't know whether or not she has had surgery, though I admit I would be a bit disappointed if she had because it would go against the ideas I have of her and what she represents. She's a proper actress and has never seemed to need to conform to what was expected. And has suffered on occasion. When she did Prime Suspect first they wouldn't show it in America - wanted to do own version with someone younger/more glamorous (or that's what I understood) - she wasn't yet known in the US.
And I certainly read somewhere - and this may be just a rumour (who knows?) - that she had been offered free surgery by someone and had turned it down. But I'm very ignorant on all this - am not a celeb-watcher, don't read the appropriate magazines - simply take an interest in anything I see about the odd person I like!
If she or anyone else wants to take that route that is up to them. Maybe I'm too squeamish. But one of the things I like about Helen Mirren is that she has wrinkles/white hair etc. - all the tokens of age - and yet looks so bloody good! She's lucky of course to have such great bone structure etc. but I do think it's sad, though presumably sign of the times, that if anyone of a certain age looks good then it is presumed they must have had surgery.
Would that I had the same confidence at 35(after three kids) that she does at 63(with or without children - gravity IS gravity, after all). She looks great, period. Not great for 63 - just bloody great. And normal. And healthy - like she could hoist more than a hanky to her nose. She's someone I would dearly love to sit down and have a drink with because she looks to me to be someone with whom you have not only have a laugh with..but also a very intelligent conversation with. (I'll now go back to being depressed from looking at that picture)
The weird thing about Helen Mirren is that although one is insanely jealous, I don't bear her any ill-will, in fact I cheer her on. And if she has indeed had work somehow, she has managed to achieve a look which doesn't make her appear a fossil, cf Madonna.
I prefer this look, natural but healthy, over Madonna's ultra-toneed-i-work-out-all-day look, to be honest...
Another contributor to the Great Mutton Debate: Esther Rantzen.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/07/18/boesther118.xml
Helen Mirren looks fantastic. No kids does help. But kudos to her, I am delighted she looks so good, and it makes one think twice about over 60 being all gravity driven. I have just seen a photo of Madonna, who apparently has had a facelift, according to her disaffected brother who's just written a shabby tell-all, and I have to say she looks ghastly. Trout pout and skin at unnatural angles. I'll have tea with Helen any day.
Helen Mirren does look good, but, at the risk of opening the old French versus British debate again, put her on any south coast beach in France and she would not stand out.
In my opinion Ms Mirren looks pretty because she isn't overly toned; she looks soft and feminine and above all healthy. Madonna has looked like a man for years! I've never met a man who has wanted to cuddle up to her, not even a gay one!
God Save Our Gracious Queen,
Long Live Our Noble Queen,
God Save The Queen.
She is spectacular.
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