Latest news with #matureWomen
Washington Post
20-06-2025
- General
- Washington Post
Miss Manners: You know who doesn't judge by appearances? Clowns
Dear Miss Manners: I've noticed that some mature women do not change how they apply makeup as they get older, which makes their maturing features begin to look, well, clownlike. For instance, their lipstick may be too dark for their skin tone and may be applied beyond the natural vermilion line in an effort to give the lips a fuller appearance, instead looking like the exaggerated mouth of a clown. Ditto for pale eye shadow applied over the entire lid, which appears even more like clown eyes when a dark (and often uneven) eyeliner is applied. This makeup scheme is made starker by either the absence of balancing color to the cheeks and eyes, or the inclusion of clownlike rouge patches on each cheek. Should one make any suggestions as to updating this unflattering makeup? And if so, how? What did clowns ever do to you? Never mind; Miss Manners is wary of clowns, too. She would never once compare a mature woman to them. Let alone do so four times. Unless you are a trusted friend who was specifically asked, or a makeup artist, still specifically asked, there is no polite way to tell someone that her makeup is garish. You may, however, give subtle recommendations of products that work for you. ('I just found this makeup crayon in a flattering shade. It works so much better than a pencil, which I find to be too stark.') But you better be sure it works for you. Dear Miss Manners: Sometimes I get a thinking-of-you greeting card, or something similar, out of the blue from a friend. I feel like the mannerly thing to do, now that there's text and email, is to send a quick note thanking them for thinking of me, or remarking on the beauty of the card and sentiment. My friend thinks it's okay to just receive the card and not send a response. What say you? Nothing says 'thank you for thinking of me' like completely ignoring the person right back. The mannerly thing to do would be to respond in kind. Miss Manners prefers handwritten correspondence, but she will take what she can get. Dear Miss Manners: A few years back, my octogenarian husband severed relations with a longtime friend and colleague who is outspoken about his bigoted, religion-based views. My husband let this person know why he was offended, and the friend pushed back. The person and his wife have made several overtures about reconciling with us. While my husband is able to compartmentalize, he knows that I prefer to keep these folks out of our lives, and he honors my views. My husband may not be around much longer, and he is a person who likes making peace. Even if he doesn't reconcile while he's still around, I know the bigot ex-friend is a staunch reader of obituaries and will show up at whatever memorial service is held. How should I respond? 'Thank you for coming.' New Miss Manners columns are posted Monday through Saturday on You can send questions to Miss Manners at her website, You can also follow her @RealMissManners. © 2025 Judith Martin
Fast Company
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Fast Company
‘And Just Like That' is back for season 3, but women over 50 are still underrepresented on TV
Grab your finest Manolo Blahnik heels and pour yourself a cosmo: The season three premiere of the Sex and the City revival series And Just Like That is upon us. Episode one of 10 drops today (Thursday, May 29) on HBO Max, with the rest following on a weekly basis. This fashion-filled series follows the lives of Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), and Charlotte (Kristin Davis)—who are now in their mid-50s—as they navigate motherhood, aging, grief, and so much more. Let's look at how the show handles mature women, the series' critical reception, and cast updates. 'And Just Like That' serves a bigger purpose It's no secret that the entertainment industry isn't kind to experienced women. The older an actress gets, the less prevalent the meaty roles become. According to a 2021 Nielsen Gracenote Inclusion Analytics, women over 50 make up 20% of the population but get just 8% of screen time. Further complicating matters, when women do see themselves on screen, they are more often than not stereotyped into maternal, caregiver roles—or spinster detectives—and not allowed to be complex individuals. When And Just Like That first premiered in December 2021, it sought to rectify this underrepresentation. What the critics and fans thought of the first two seasons Fans were eager to see their favorite New Yorkers back on the small screen. According to Deadline, the first two episodes of season one were the most watched series premiere of a new HBO or HBO Max series on the streaming service until House of the Dragon took the title. After watching, however, critics and fans had some notes for the cable network. New York Times critic James Poniewozik quipped that 'it all went wrong' and even asked, 'Was this really necessary?' He pointed out many awkward attempts to make the series more diverse, but gave the creators credit for trying. Entertainment Weekly 's Darren Franich agreed, celebrating the series for being better than the movies in certain regards, but also pointing out it 'tries too hard to bring its cultural brand into a new era.' Fans echoed these sentiments, and the internet went wild. For a while, it was trendy to 'hate watch' the series and criticize it online. 'Season 1 was probably the worst season of television i've ever seen and I was excited for every episode,' explained one Reddit user. 'The show is baaaad but I'm ultimately having a good time.' Thankfully And Just Like That only improved with age. Vanity Fair 's Richard Lawson wrote that the series ' found its footing ' in its second season. It is only right to hope that season three will continue this trend, especially since the creatives had a two-year break to get things right. What happened at the end of the last season? At the end of season two, Carrie held a goodbye dinner for her iconic brownstone apartment. She and Aiden (John Corbet) purchased a place together in Gramercy Park. When his son gets into a car accident, he asks to take a five-year pause on their relationship until his kids are older. Miranda and Che (Sara Ramirez) are officially over but she flirts with a BBC producer named Joy (Dolly Wells). Charlotte, meanwhile, has returned to the workforce and asks her husband to get more involved in domestic affairs. What is expected for season three? Cast announcements may give fans a clue about potential plotlines in the new season. Sara Ramirez will not return, but Dolly Wells has been made a series regular. This could signal that Miranda might have a new love interest. Karen Pittman, who played Dr. Nya Wallace, is also not returning to the series because of scheduling conflicts. This could instead mean that Joy takes her place as Miranda's friend. Sebastiano Pigazzi, who plays Giuseppe, a love interest for Anthony, has also been promoted to a series regular. New iconic faces will also be joining the series this season. While exact details are being held close to the vest, Rosie O'Donnell has confirmed that she will play a character named Mary. Broadway diva Patti LuPone will also have a significant role. Male actors are getting in on the action as well. Logan Marshall-Green, Mehcad Brooks, and Jonathan Cake will steam up season three.
