"The Maiden of Carnal Knowledge"- Tinseltown's Obsession With 'Lolitas'

I never got the allure of my school uniforms until my mother drew a comparison between my fantasy of suede-patched corduroy blazers/pipes/salt-and-pepper gray hair and my ponytailed/sweet-and-naive/uniform-cloistered life. "The fantasy is to have someone 'to teach' what you like to do- without judgment or rebuff". I learned not to judge unattractive perverts in hopes that no one would judge my lust for graying older men. Hollywood gives a slightly skewed version of this fantasy, with their frivolous pursuit of living longer while remaining youthful-looking. I have learned to pity people who 'cannot grow old'. 'Emote- EMOTE! Show a laugh line or a brow crease and you're fired!' Although one critic once remarked of these 'phenoms' on "The OC" television series as "thirty year old children and their forty year old parents", we have always been more forgiving of men. When they show signs of 'corporal maturity', in movies as in life, we 'mask' them by producing younger love interests. Woody Allen takes this system to comedic levels (unintentionally, God love him!) up to "Mighty Aphrodite"(1995); finally throwing in the towel (we wonder) and living vicariously through his male leads by "Anything Else"(2003).

Two modern tales of triumph for beauty over aging are Demi Moore and Cher; two tales of woe are ('insert names of actresses with plastic surgery that makes you cringe here'). Thank goodness my family taught me that the creases age might give me were worthy payment for the wisdom of the world; although, this attitude may DERAIL any acting career I may pursue. Hollywood takes taller than average women (in or around junior high school girls tend to be taller than boys); starves them (the weight for most actresses listed was below the BMI normal); and often props oversized breast (blossoming form) and lips (constantly pouting?) onto their bodies (you know who they are!). Perpetual statued monuments to adolescent perfection. To add to the fantasy, they are given roles that emphasize naivety: they have them acting helpless, hapless and 'running up the stairs when they SHOULD be running out the door'. Our loveliest screen goddesses have always been girlish acting females with womanly forms. One exception is Mae West who resorted to comedy to keep her power as the 'knowing woman' and our attention. Sometimes our 'Lolitas' are allowed to know what they are capable of making men do: they are consequently labeled b**ches to relieve them of some of their power. Older women who are beautiful AND powerful are labeled 'vixens'- root word "vice". On those more recent occasions when we butch up and cloth our 'Lolitas' as heroines, they are young, beautiful and 'kick ass'...but always have problems in their personal lives (think: the new "Charlie's Angels").

It seems, the only way a woman can get it right in Hollywood's eyes is to NOT be a woman at all.


I champion all actresses: those who make 'acceptions for the rules' as well as those who are acceptions to these rules.