Zoomer debate rages on like seniors at the early bird special
The battle of the olds hit the airwaves Tuesday when Zoomer editor Suzanne Boyd debated National Post contributor Mireille Silcoff on CBC Radio’s Q regarding Silcoff’s editorial about the magazine’s hypocritical stance on aging.
“Why is it not OK to be an older person and relax?” Silcoff asked. “I don’t consider peer pressure the fact that you want to encourage people to live longer, healthier lives,” retorted Boyd. “We’re not telling anyone to have fab abs. We’re saying strengthen your abs so that you can have less back pain and increased mobility.” Yeah, sure.
In a letter to the Post, Zoomer owner Moses Znaimer accused Silcoff of being insecure about aging. Silcoff, who’s 37, explained that she’s been living with a spinal cord condition that rendered her a “frail 80-year-old woman,” and says her life was a living hell when she tried to wear heels and embody the zippy lifestyle Zoomer promotes. Snap. “As soon as I learned to accept and live with the deck that had been handed to me, a new horizon opened up and I learned how to live deeply and beautifully.”
A lovely thought, but lifestyle magazines are akin to Cosmo. Sure, they’re filled with mixed messages about aging gracefully while getting Botox, but we think readers (especially ones in their 60s) know to take advice with a grain of salt and a dash of humour. But if instances of elderly onset anorexia begin to rise, we’ll know who to blame.
NEVER MISS A TORONTO LIFE STORY
Sign up for This City, our free newsletter about everything that matters right now in Toronto politics, sports, business, culture, society and more.
