Member-only story
The Beautiful Starlets
The unintended tyranny of celluloid
Over the years, the beautiful starlets in my favorite movies went from being older than me, to the same age, to much, much younger. But they never changed. They were always perfect. Every time I watched one of their movies again, no matter how old I had become, it was just like the first time.
Which leads me to speculate on the unfairness of real life, in which our flesh-and-blood love partners were made to compete, subconsciously, with these impossible icons of ageless perfection. And it worked the opposite way, too — our wives and sweethearts had MALE movie stars against whom WE had to compete! Though, of course, such a thought found no awareness in our youthful egos.
Of course, we know that the real actors and actresses either grew old or died young in tragic ways, just like the rest of us weak mortals. But when we see their triumphs on film, something wonderful seems to live forever.
I could name my old movie flames, but your own list will have far more significance for you.
