Lots of people are scared of aging. In 2022, over 9.2 million Botox procedures were performed across the globe, and Botox is consistently ranked as the top non-surgical cosmetic procedure. Social media is obsessed with “anti-aging” techniques, celebrities who “haven't aged a day in decades,” and advice on what to avoid if you want to stay looking young forever.
But why do we have to see aging as a negative thing? Aging is natural and beautiful! And we should stop judging others by how they look while growing older. We can, however, judge internet posts based on how poorly they aged, because that’s simply entertaining.
When it comes to things that can age poorly, anything from old advertisements to magazine covers featuring celebrities can fit the bill. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to predict the future, so you can never know for sure if your favorite singer or your favorite actor will turn out to be a terrible person.
We’re constantly learning more about the world, so there’s no shame in realizing that some of your previous statements didn’t age well. But it’s a good reminder to never get a tattoo that’s linked to a specific person or piece of media. Or you might end up trying to cover up or remove the artwork, just like plenty of people who had Harry Potter tattoos!
When it comes to films that haven’t aged particularly well, it’s not hard to find examples if you start looking back a couple of decades or more. Even Love Actually, which is highly regarded as one of the most popular Christmas movies of the past 30 years, has been called out recently for the toxic relationship dynamics displayed in the film. For example, the character Natalie is constantly body-shamed and referred to as fat or “Plumpy.” Meanwhile, the character of Mark has a somewhat creepy obsession with Juliet and seems entitled to her affection. In real life, this would be much less romantic than it is intended to be in the film.
There are also plenty of television shows that didn’t age very well. Even the beloved sitcom Friends features many moments that make viewers raise their eyebrows today. One particularly bad storyline is the fact that Monica used to be overweight. This wouldn’t be a problem if it weren’t used as a punchline. We see the character wearing a fat suit, and all of her friends seem to find it hysterical that she was once plus-sized. Nowadays, this kind of body-shaming is definitely not seen as funny.
Sadly, there are also plenty of stars who were once extremely loved by fans who are now only remembered for their problematic behavior. Chris Brown was once revered for his music, but now, he is primarily known as an extremely dangerous and violent person. Shia LaBeouf was also once a beloved actor and filmmaker who has been canceled after his violent behavior came to light.
There have also been plenty of medical claims made by doctors in the past that did not age well at all. For example, we all know that smoking cigarettes was once recommended by medical professionals. But did you know that tobacco smoke enemas were also used to “cure a wide range of ailments”? This involved exactly what it sounds like: blowing tobacco smoke up a person’s backside. Unsurprisingly, this came along with many risks to both the person receiving and administering the treatment. So by the early 1800s, doctors realized that they should probably find other methods to treat their patients.
