In today's Independent John Walsh casts a spotlight over what, as far as I am aware, has been a previously unidentified cultural demographic.
As he says mid-way through the article:
'The Groovy Old Men' started out as the children of post-war rock'n'roll, growing up in the forties, fifties, and sixties. They're probably the most fortunate generation in history. Lucky to have missed the war, most of them also missed rationing, national service, and austerity. But they witnessed the initial stirrings of rock music-Elvis, Bill Haley, Cliff (?) Buddy -the benefits of the pill, the apotheosis of the teenager, the rise of satire, the counterculture, the expansion of screen -based culture into the global village, the first wave of computers....No wonder Groovy Young Men turned out the way they did.' ( read full article here)
Well, apart from the absence of any mention of the Grateful Dead , recreational drugs , and tab-collar shirts, do I see myself reflected in this definition? Well, truth to say, yes. I have an i-pod, I go to the gym, and I did go to the Latitude Festival with my sons last year ( but not this year because I thought the music line-up was dull).
As for the other observations that Mr Walsh enumerates: they are well made and we get the picture- it all serves pretty well as a journalistic approximation.
But what reading this rather engaging article on- line won't show you is two things. Firstly the pleasing absence of any photo of the ghastly ego on legs that is Mick Jagger. It's about time that he wasn't trotted out as the icon of our generation. He never was. In Harry's opinion he is a shallow show-business construct of his own making, and he fronts his own tribute band. Which is sad , rather than impressive.
Instead the article in the paper is pleasingly illustrated with photos of Terence Stamp, Bill Nighy, and Paul Smith, amongst others. Each, in their own way, with an admirable degree of style, and, I would surmise, a mature and idiosyncratic take on, well, getting older.
5 comments:
Apart from the trophy wife, that is Harry to a t.
Terence Stamp is still hot, isn't he?
Oh thank goodness, no trophy wife! I thought the article was fun - well-written and not taking itself to seriously, but am peeved that we are still seen as disposible. I think I'm a bit younger than any of the men in the gallery, but alas no longer 36...
Fortunately I do know one who is fond of women more or less his own age...
Yes, several hotties there. I thought Gabriel Byrne was lovely, though I did have to vote for our Montréal homeboy Leonard Cohen.
who's harry? i thought that was terrance stamp...
Terence Stamp still has a smouldering look that defys his vintage. As for senior citizen Mick Jagger, wrinkly rocker extraordinaire, he would look a little more groovy and a little less silly if he allowed some grey hair to show. A salt and pepper look, perhaps. His auburn locks aren't age-defying, they're faintly ridiculous.
At least he hasn't had his face creases ironed out, I suppose.
Are women of that era Groovy Old Women? Oh yes, Helen Mirren. Tick.
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