Age Discrimination?

[RoadRunner]

http://www.foxnews.com reports:NEW YORK — A bitter Cindy Crawford has taken a swipe at Revlon, saying the cosmetics giant dumped her as its $3 million-a-year spokeswoman because she's too old. Of course, Revlon denies it, but does it matter if it's true? If a cosmetics manufacturer wants to appeal to a younger crowd, doesn't it have the right to choose a new model? Guess what! Very few super-models stay super-models forever. Does anybody remember Cheryl Tiegs and Christie Brinkley? They are hardly considered supermodels anymore, but they were once very hot.

I don't think this is age discrimination. Age discriminiation is when you treat someone differently because of his age instead of his performance. In this instance, if Cindy Crawford doesn't appeal to the right audience, her performance is the problem.

[Karenluvs6]

I agree 100%....She is older, she is a mom and wife now too. She doesn't have the same appeal she did before.
I mean, if she wants to get into technical stuff, how about the fact that she was a contracted super model when she became pregnant..?!?! She had an image to uphold by contract...Well, does that mean she broke that agreement by getting pregnant?
I am not saying that women are no longer beautiful, or sexy after having a baby, but take it from a mother of six...no woman keeps all her looks after having children. Things change...lots of things!
She should really think about this a little more before she completely makes a fool of herself.

[RoadRunner]

YIKES!!! I ain't touching the pregnacy thing.

Actually, have you heard that jerk on the talk radio circuit who has written a book blasting wives who don't get back in shape after a pregnancy? He says he's sick and tired of women using the lame excuse of pregnancy for not keeping their figures. Those are his words, not mine.

I'm amazed that someone would even write that book, but even more amazed that someone would publish it.

I'll tell you what: until I throw up for a couple of months, have my hormones raging, and then have my hip bones soften so that I can deliver an eight pound baby, I'm not saying anything to any woman about what she looks like after pregnancy.

I wouldn't have any place to say anything anyhow, because I weigh about 30 pounds more than I did ten years ago. And I didn't give birth.

[Karenluvs6]

and men wonder why women are so uncomfortable with themselves. It's men like him that make women/girls end up with eating disorders and starve themselves half to death.
We are not all supposed to be skinny and flawless....If we were, God wouldn't have made us all different.
that guy really needs to get a life.

[RoadRunner]

I agree totally. Imagine if we all looked identical! How boring that would be.

It amazes me how many men have double standards. They look like they are 20 years older than when they married, but they don't expect their wives to.

I can't believe how many women's magazines with women as editors push that 90-pound look. It can't help either.

[CommunistPanda]

Ugh...that focus on women being anorexic makes me sick.

[blinc]

It is awful how much pressure is put on young women today to look like they've been malnourished most of their lives. I won a free subscription to a magazine... took one look at the way they were pushing the thin beyond reality look, called them up and told them I didn't want their magazine, stop sending it to me and told them why.

Unless people stand up and say hey, I think what you're doing is wrong, they'll keep publishing things like that. As long as the young women and some of the older women, keep buying into the "you have to be thin as a rail to be beautiful" bologna the magazines will sell.

As to Cindy Crawford, I'm sure she didn't complain when she took over the place of the "older" woman before her. I mean they surely passed someone along in order to push Cindy's "new" look. It's sad that she isn't considering what was done to the women before her, as I'm sure she took someone else's spotlight away. Doesn't feel so good when the shoes on the other foot I guess.

[CommunistPanda]

I must agree. I have great respect for my female friends that stand up to that pressure, because so many of those I know fall victim to the mass media in that regard.

[TWTCommish]

Discrimination is what RR said it was - choosing one person over another regardless of performance. In this case, her age is part of her performance! That's the way it works in advertising.

Some people are just "sore losers", so to speak. Although ironically, Crawford is sickingly rich and will be as long as she lives. Maybe she should work on her acting and stop complaining! :D

[nb]

The original subject was age discrimination - but I don't think using Cindy Crawford's experience is a useful one to advance this discussion. I am close (or maybe past!) to the age where one might expect age discrimination, but I don't believe I have experienced it. The only connection I can make to my age and job searches being harder is that I command a much higher salary now than most younger competitors. I have to choose my targets more wisely (is it unfair ageism to use my wisdom gained by age against younger competitors?....hmmmmmm......)

[TWTCommish]

Nope, experience has plenty to do with it.

I'll just say that I don't think I'll ever care how blatantly someone has an age discrimination against me (once I'm older), I'll never sue them or complain like that. I might think they're wrong, and say so, but not much beyond that.

[RoadRunner]

Actually, the original post was about Cindy Crawford's age discrimination claim, not about advancing the discussion of age discrimination. It was about whether a super-model can claim age discrimination, not age discrimination in general.

I'm sure that it's fine to change the subject though. FrappyDoo is pretty relaxed that way.

[TWTCommish]

Well, in that case I still think she's wrong - part of a supermodel's job is to convey whatever the photographers/marketers want. If they want a youthful image, older models can't get all bothered over it. It's their choice.

On a side note, I think you should be allowed to be unfair really - the government should not give businesses quotas. There shouldn't be law against being a jerk, as odd as that sounds. If people let their own biases interfere with choosing the most qualified employees, then they'll suffer at the hands of their competitors who look at performance alone.

[Nudnik]

RR, I think that you are right, of course: she was hired, among other things, because of her age (then). I am almost sure that there is something in her contract about her age, or her looks. I am almost sure that her personal lawyer read the contract and advised her to agree and to sign it (and it was for 3mil/yr!).
Now she does not want to lose 3mil/yr. (I do not blame her ;)). Her lawyer said: “Let’s sue”. A lawsuit may take several years. The lawyer will get paid in any kind of outcome. S/he said to CC: “It’s age discrimination, we can’t let it go!”. CC is just a model. She has (had?) good looks, but good brain… is another matter. In the meantime, Foxnews has to keep the audience. CC is a good bait, so why should they let the news about CC go?