I was going through some of my old Keep[1] notes, and I found this one: “Collagen and botox are the modern Hapsburg…

I was going through some of my old Keep[1] notes, and I found this one: “Collagen and botox are the modern Hapsburg chin.”

As it happens, I remember exactly why I wrote myself that fairly cryptic note.  I was watching this year’s Super Bowl postgame show, and the presentation of the Lombardi Trophy really struck me[2].

A certain physical aesthetic has become totally normalized in the wealthier parts of American culture.  It seems to be very much the case that people aren’t pursuing “looking young” past a certain point (which makes sense, since that’s not really possible), but are rather conforming to a totally new set of beauty standards that aren’t “young” but are definitely “not old”.

The thing to note here is that attaining this aesthetic is time-consuming, irreversible, and incredibly expensive.  I can’t know if it’s intended to be a mark of status, or a claim on membership in a certain in-group, but I can say that as a cultural signifier it seems to carry a lot of the same weight that the Hapsburg Chin did in the 18th century.  It’s a mark of the Aristocracy.

[1] If you use G+ and don’t use Keep, you should rethink what you’re doing.  Keep is astonishingly useful.

[2] People have criticized Annabel Bowlen, the wife of the long-time owner of the Denver Broncos who recently retired because of debilitating Alzheimer’s disease, for being dim, or dumb, or dopey but I don’t think that’s at all fair.  She’s clearly taking on a responsibility that she wouldn’t have chosen for herself, and I think that as much as the organization seemed to have loved Pat Bowlen it was entirely appropriate for her to play this role.  I think the NFL is ~awful, but the professional entertainers and executives on that stage did a phenomenal job being gracious and caring in what was obviously a very difficult moment for her.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcszEbItYKU