It seems it’s no longer a big taboo to ask the age old question about a woman’s age. We wanted to know how you respond when you get asked and you told us on our Facebook page.
Of the four choices, a whopping 83 percent of you picked, “State my age proudly.” Five percent of you said you gave a vague answer such as “old enough.” We were happy to hear none of you lied about your age!
Others chose to write in an answer. Here are a few:
“It’s important to `admit’ your age. It’s the last vestige of coyness. Also, if you don’t try to get away with a younger age, you are redefining your actual age for other women.”
“Ageism is real, especially for women. Among women friends, fine. But professionally, I keep that to myself.”
“Sometimes I state my age proudly; sometimes with regret. It usually has to do with the state of my hair.”
There’s probably a lot you know about Barbra Streisand – that her breakthrough was in the movie Funny Girl, that “Evergreen” was one of her biggest hits, and that you’ll never forget the way she said that line, “Your girl is lovely, Hubbell” in The Way We Were. But did you know she’s such a pet lover that she had her favorite dog—an adorable white fluffball–cloned after it died?
She recently told The New York Times: “I was so devastated by the loss of my dear Samantha, after 14 years together, that I just wanted to keep her with me in some way…So Sammie’s doctor took some cells from inside her cheek and the skin on her tummy just before she died. And we sent those cells to ViaGen Pets in Texas.”
Streisand wound up with two puppies who were the offspring of this process. Of them, she’s noted, “You can clone the look of a dog, but you can’t clone the soul. Still, every time I look at their faces, I think of my Samantha…and smile.”
The first cloned dog was created in 2005 in South Korea, and today, it takes about 60 days – and $50,000 – to complete the procedure. While a dog is alive, some cell samples are taken and these are later fused with a canine egg. Basically, a clone is like an identical twin born at a later date.
So, pet lovers, tell us: If the price tag were more affordable, would you clone your beloved pet? Tell us in the survey below.
–Janet Siroto
If our 2-question survey doesn’t show up below, click this link.
As you’re watching the Academy Awards this weekend (and you are, right?), let’s take a minute to give a round of applause for all the 45-plus remarkable women who are nominated to take home a golden statue. Still not as many as it should be, but at least in the Supporting Actress category one of us is guaranteed to take home an Oscar. Chin-chin.
Some terrific work being recognized:
Best Actress
Frances McDormand, 60, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Meryl Streep, 68, “The Post”
Best Supporting Actress
Mary J. Blige, 47, “Mudbound”
Allison Janney, 58, “I, Tonya”
Lesley Manville, 61, “Phantom Thread”
Laurie Metcalf, 62, “Lady Bird”
Octavia Spencer, 45, “The Shape of Water”
Which were your favorite performances this year, and who do you think will win? Tell us in the comments.
–Janet Siroto