I just saw 'The Trip' a british midlife buddy film (two thumbs up but would've liked less impression duelling & more food porn dirty talk albeit some yummy visuals)..I've been comparing it to female films of the same genre and imo men suffer far more discontent as they age than women.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1740047/
and viagra & money seem to make it worse..
I couldn't disagree more that men suffer far more discontent as they age than women. First of all lets look at the big picture. Society values a women primarily for her youth and looks. A women's intelligence and achievements are almost always secondary. In Hollywood for example, a women's career is usually over once she ages or loses her looks. I know that there are exceptions but casting a 40 year old women in the role of a "sex symbol" is rare. Guys want Megan Fox and Scarlett Johansson. Actors like Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger however play the lead roles into their 60's.
Lets look at the fashion,hair, and cosmetics industry. I don't have any hard data, but I am willing to bet that women outspend men 10 to 1 in an attempt to look attractive and youthful. How many men do you know that have had plastic surgery? I don't know any men but I definitely know several women.
When a women gets her first grey hair it is usually devastating for them. Nobody blinks an eye when a man starts greying around the temples. Society views a women with grey hair as over the hill, while a man looks distinguished.
When its time for a night out on the town, how long does it take for a typical women to get ready? I have had girlfriends that take 3 hours to get ready. For me its 30 minutes maximum, 35 if I need a drop a deuce. Again, women place much more importance on their appearance then men.
Aside from the appearance factor, a women is viewed as weird if she is single into her 40's. Its even worse if she has several cats. A single man in his 40's is often viewed as a carefree bachelor who has the freedom to do as he pleases. Married men usually envy the lifestyle of their single male counterparts. On the other hand married women usually feel sorry for their single female counterparts and will often attempt to fix them up.
Now before anyone responds to my post please remember that I am speaking in generalities. I recognize that there are some women that are single, happy, and have grey hair. I know that there are men that get plastic surgery. I further know that there are women over 40 in movies.
Not to mention that women tend to outlive men as well. That means you have longer to consider your own mortality.
