I AM being a grown up …

[blamebrampton]

I'm trying to read and comment more on LJ in a bid to support everyone's mission to keep the LJ-based fandom going. I just had a quick skim through a commentary on part of Deathly Hallows and despite the writer raising loads of interesting and a few excellent points, I am now obsessed with one line, and I paraphrase: 'Rowling minimises our experience of the torture of this old man.'

The writer was talking about Xenophilius Lovegood. HE IS MY AGE OR A LITTLE OLDER OR POSSIBLY EVEN YOUNGER!!

I am so filled with righteous indignation! I ride hundreds of kilometres a month! I could do that a week if I didn't have to go to work! I have all my own teeth! In a fight with Snatchers I would probably go down because they are Wizards, but I would go down biting and they would seriously regret their life choices!

Bloody young people today! Where's someone Gen Y or younger so I can patronise them? I bet you can't do long division without electronic assistance! There! That'll show you! Bah!

Excuse me, I require a cup of tea and a good lie down.

*Exits, muttering.*

Comments

[celestlyn.livejournal.com]

Can I share your righteous indignation? Ageism is rapidly becoming one of my pet peeves. I'm definitely older than Mr Lovegood. Unless he and his wife had Luna when he was over 40 he could hardly be called an 'old man' and even then I'm leaning toward still middle-aged. With children at Hogwarts the parents are likely to be between 30 and 50. Hardly old. Perhaps the commenter actually meant 'old-ER' man. Yeah, that's it. And even if he was 50, which I doubt, that is apparently not old by wizard standards.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

It's so wacky! In the real world I have good friends half my age and we get on super well: they come to me for recommendations of old music and loans of authentic 80s gear, I go to them for new music and shopping tips. We ride, bushwalk, play music and do stuff, like normal people.

But take it onto the internet and suddenly it's all 'OMG! People in their 40s having sex! EW!!! In their 50s? EEEEEWWWWW!!! Older than that? No way!'

I did have a junior once who was all 'There is no way people my mum and dad's age still have sex!' and since the age group on the mag ranged from 40-55 we did a quick check of her parents' ages and then laughed and laughed and laughed.

As we gently pointed out, once we had calmed down enough to speak, the alternative would be a sex life that lasted a maximum of about 20-25 years, and while she might currently think that was plenty, in a few years, she would definitely change her mind!