Thursday, September 22, 2011

FONDA FOREVER

Yes she's amazing. Yes, she looks beautiful. Yes, she knows a lot and she shares it.

Her newly done face bothers me. When comedienne, Carol Burnett, one of TV's most brilliant creative performers, had her face fixed, it bothered me.

A familiar face is familiar -- you do more than recognize it. You are traveling along in your life with a face that's like your own face -- changing (okay, maturing), growing older along with you.

Older --the word doesn't bite, but, well, maybe your attitude does.

The Fonda who has made mistakes, survived, reinvented herself, apologized, I admire. She's a doer. The Fonda with the new face declares strongly she is a doer. Though what she's doing now is more or less the same -- promoting her new book, selling her know-how about love, sex, and exercise.

But it isn't the same. With plastic surgery, she's done something major to herself. Announcing it, she's calling attention to herself in a way that's bound to get extra special attention -- her latest very personal revelations are like stripping off her clothes.

Why? Well, maybe Fonda feels that her exercises (which she's touting as refurbished, updated for an older body) are more important than ever. Maybe because her life as a divorced woman, right now, has been wonderfully enhanced by her younger look-- she feels that she's back in the swim -- breast stroking, floating, gracefully paddling along and doing better than women who are 10 years younger.

Is she? Well, here's the show-biz-wise Em's "yes." Jane Fonda is back in the marketplace for lovers, admirers, fans, jobs.

Personally, I don't really want advice from another woman who had surgery to transform herself. -- to me that means what she was before the surgery bothered her, upset her, depressed her. She's fixed lines in her forehead, bags under her eyes, tautened her cheeks, and neck.. She looks good. (She'll look better to me when her face muscles settle in on the new Fonda.)

But her latest aphorism is "It's much more important to be interested than interesting."

And she's making herself more interesting by talking about sex, and obviously she's looking for work -- leading roles, challenging parts that will enhance her career -- yes, mothers, mother-in-laws, grandmothers, but a younger matriarchal strong woman looks better on film. The camera has a cruel, harsh eye. So maybe more roles, better roles, will be coming her way.

So stop. Shut up, stop complaining, Em -- the New Fonda created by Fonda will keep her working in movies and on the stage.

Maybe what's making me uneasy is ... should I, could I, do I need to do what she's done?

Hmmm.

4 comments:

Laurel Alanna McBrine said...

Pretty soon we won't know what people look like at 70. Weirdly, she looks king of more like Carol Burnett now.

Anonymous said...

Dear Emily: great blog today about Jane Fonda! She was my hero along with Carol Burnett for many years. But, because of the face lift surgery I don't put them as high up on the ladder anymore. It's like Jane feared growing old and looking her age along with the rest of us. It has changed her whole outlook and expression of one's NATURAL self and I would have loved her more even with her wrinkles. She may be a "doer" but she is a follower not a leader now-doing what so many stars are doing-plastic surgery to keep alive forever.
Now, Em if you want to get a face lift-it's OK with me...I will love you if you age naturally and gracefully or with a surgeon's help look 20 years younger than me. YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL either way! kam Kathleen Ann McGee

Carola said...

It's too bad, but that's Jane Fonda. I always enjoyed her skin care advice, her exercise programs, and her life and development in general, but I always understood that she had certain values that differ from mine. She hasn't completely shaken off that early self. But then do any of us ever completely shake off our early selves?

Linda Phillips said...

If she has done it to get more parts...then okay..I can understand that.

Personally, I appreciate looking at an aging face that is aging normally and gracefully.

You dearest Em, have a face that is natural and beautiful. You know that you would never touch it and there is absolutely no need to. You are a beautiful woman.

Jane Fonda has always been very insecure. I hope it makes her happier to have a new face and gives her more security.

To me security is something that you build from within and not from the outside.