I was on here the last time Love Smart was aired and the same kind of things about the age and attractiveness factor were being said. It was heartening to read from all the people over 40, like me, who felt that we were being excluded and we are.
But let's face it, kids, those of us over 40 are confronted with even bigger challenges than just what to say in two minutes during a speed dating event! I can't even find a speed dating event that includes my age group (female 46) and I live in a large urban area! Forget online dating when you're an older female too. A lot of the men who go on there in their 40s are looking for a smorgasbord of younger women. Filter out the freaks and the weirdos and you're not left with much to choose from...If one more person helpfully informs me that I'd better be willing to date much older men or I'm going to be lonely, I think I'll scream! This kind of advice, invariably comes from someone under 39 and is not helpful.
I have yet to see any mention by Dr. Phil or his producers, or anyone else involved in making the show, of the fact that older single people have been ignored. This forum has been full of us complaining . No surprises here, really, are there? I mean we're talking about the ol' double standard. Young, attractive people SELL,end of story.
Look, at first, I was disappointed and resentful of the fact that these Love Smart shows, the book, the special etc., were totally falling into the Hollywood trap - that same ol' youth and vitality factor. But ah...hello!! When we were all in our 20s, would we have wanted to watch a show about oldies who can't get dates? There are indeed some universally useful suggestions for any age about relating to the opposite sex but from what we've been shown obviously, there are a lot of additional challenges - especially females over 40. Dr. Phil needs a whole different show to handle this. Will he do it? Probably not, because it doesn't SELL!
I guess what I've decided is that I had my turn. I blew it. Now, it's up to me to accept that being perpetually single is my lot in life. Or else...maybe Dr. Phil will write another book for us. It can be entitled, "Love ...For Old Farts!"
