Ask A Genius 1177: A Cher and Madonna Situation
Author(s): Rick Rosner and Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): Ask A Genius
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2024/11/12
*Interview conducted in November, 2024.*
Rick Rosner: Ever heard of Albert Beckles? If you Google him, you’ll see that he was a successful bodybuilder for a long time. I used to go to Gold’s Gym in North Hollywood, where he worked out.
He’d still be ripped even in his mid-seventies. He’d be there with his girlfriend, who was also in her seventies. It looked a little odd because there was an African American guy in his seventies with a shaved head, 4% body fat, and 18 or 19-inch biceps, looking incredibly fit—unlike a 75-year-old. Meanwhile, his girlfriend looked her age at 72. It created a bit of a visual mismatch.
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Like a Cher or Madonna situation?
Rosner: No, it seemed more like they had been together for 30 years and stayed committed. It’s like when you see the wives of some Hollywood celebrities—it can be striking. Sam Elliott comes to mind. He’s got to be around 75 now. He’s the deep-voiced narrator from The Big Lebowski and is known for playing cowboy roles. He’s had that great silvery hair for decades. Even at 75, he still looks like Sam Elliott with all his hair. But then you see him at a premiere with his wife, a pleasant-looking woman in her seventies, and it stands out because he still has that movie star allure while she looks her age.
Male movie stars retain that appeal as they age as quickly as others do. Harrison Ford is 80 and was still playing Indiana Jones. Tom Selleck from Blue Bloods is 79 and still has all his hair. He’s even selling reverse mortgages and still looks convincing.
On Blue Bloods, he plays the head of the NYPD well into his late seventies. I don’t watch the show, but it’s funny because I’m pretty sure the actual retirement age for the police department is around 65. But Selleck can still pass for 65 at 79. I don’t know what his wife looks like, but probably not as culturally revered as Selleck himself.
Speaking of Selleck, here’s a story before we wrap up. I worked on The Man Show, which satirized men’s behaviours while simultaneously appealing to the same audience. They had a segment called “Manly Advice from Tom Selleck’s Penis,” which featured a puppet shaped like a penis giving advice. They asked Tom Selleck for permission to use his name, and he responded, “Please don’t. My daughter is in junior high school, and it would be hard for her if my talking penis were on T.V.” So, we ended up using someone else’s name.
There’s this misconception that conservatives can’t get work in Hollywood. It’s not true. It’s just that conservatives who are difficult to work with don’t get work. Tom Selleck is a conservative; he’s NRA-affiliated, but he’s probably a delight on set—he knows his lines and hits his cues, which is not a problem. Even The Rock is conservative. If you Google conservative celebrities, you’ll find hundreds of them. The ones who are likable and professional still get work.
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