For some reason?? Women aren't creatures from another planet; can you honestly not look at our society and deduce why it might be that some women find aging difficult and scary?
Because - as common wisdom would have it - women are "unfairly" judged solely upon their looks - or that a woman's looks defines them in a way that is different than what a man experiences.
Contrary to popular opinion, though, I'd argue that being judged on your looks is a universal thing that both men and women experience - women no more severely than men. I'd also argue that women are just as "superficial" as men are in that respect (if in fact not moreso) - and that 99% of the grief women get with respect to those issues comes from other women - and not men.
For example - since women love to look at popular culture as the litmus test of how there's this unfair expectation of beauty placed upon women - I'd ask you to also look at the men. How many fat, undesirable and/or non-idealized men do you see in the media? In the event you *do* see one, how is he portrayed?
Take a look at what seems to be the standard-bearer right now of what "turns women on" - that whole 50-shades-of-gray stuff. How's the guy described? Basically - ridiculously good looking with a huge dongle. Why isn't he described as a George Castanza type, with a mediocre if not small little vienna sausage down there? Because - that ain't what gets women going.
As much as women lament about what they're judged by - I'd argue that men have the same thing as part of their experience. They are judged by two things - how they look and how they can provide. Know what the fat pizza delivery man is doing on Friday night? Nothing. Why? Because he can't get a date.
...and in the event that an ugly man who happens to have a lot of money does get a date - he's facing the exact same thing that Demi Moore was facing...which is a mate that can't get past the obvious (how he looks) and is out there banging around with the Cabana boy or something.
That's just how the world works. The only difference is how people react to it.
The thing that's funny to me, however, is that it really isn't men persecuting women on these things or having these huge un-realistic expectations - but rather women subjecting other women to it. I believe that when women get dressed up - do what they do to primp themselves - etc...it's not for the man's benefit. The man only really cares about one or two things - and whether or not your shoes match your purse ain't among them. He frankly probably hasn't the slightest clue of what kind of shoes you're wearing.. He didn't see your purse. Maybe he might see the dress and how you fill it - but that's about it.
It's other women that women dress up for - because they know how they judge each other.
For all the talk about supermodels - etc - I've never known a man (and I've known some "superficial" men) that needs his woman to look like a supermodel. Rather - most men I know just want the girl to be appropriately pretty, not to have let herself go and become obese or something, and just don't want you to be sloppy. That's about it.
