For most of the 20th Century, youth was idolized and adulthood was disparaged. And not just the US, but in much of the world. So much so that adults started to reject the labels of adulthood, pretending to a youthfulness that was no longer theirs.
The deception is comprehensive. Ask someone in their fifties “How old do you feel?”, and they will probably say “Like I did in my 30s or 40s”, or something like that. They cannot imagine that people in their 50s can still feel “good”, because they were long told that “50s is old”.
Be that as it may, many men and women are somewhat frightened of being recognized for their age. And ironically, while rejecting the adult labels, they are also resentful of children’s labels.
In German, “Frau” means something today like “middle aged housewife”, though before it was closer to “woman”, possibly “married woman”. And “Fraulein” used to mean girl children from toddlers to teenagers, but has mutated into something like “older girls with loose morals”. So it is not complementary, either.
You see the problem for the American woman is that she would *love* to be confused with a younger woman. But it’s not happening. Total strangers take one look at her and think “Frau”. And she really resents it.
You nailed it. I can’t believe how so many women want to be seen as “hot” well into middle age. Being appealing to their husbands alone is not enough.
This author was hit by reality and she didn’t like it. Her days of catching the eye of a man are over.
I’m finding a few fringe benefits of getting older or appearing to be older. At age 58, I will often be charged at the lower Senior Rate of $8.00, instead of the full price of $12.00 or more. Sometimes I forget to correct the schoolkids behind the movie counter. I’m “virtually” 60 already anyway.