I Trended On Twitter??
PLUS: It's Time For This Month's Book Club!
I Trended On Twitter??
Hello classic crew, and happy Monday! I hope you all had a lovely weekend. Before we get into today’s article, make sure to scroll down and take the survey to help schedule this week’s Book Club Discussion. I can’t wait to talk about A Christmas Carol with you all - what a perfect read for this season!
Well, my weekend was just a little bit crazy…I found out on Saturday evening that I had been trending on Twitter for this tweet:
This tweet blew up - and it sparked a lot of controversy from the Left, but not for the reasons you might think.
Madonna, posing almost nude on a bed at 63 years old, clinging to the last remnants of her sexuality as a way to prove her worth, is not what I would call classic. As I’ve made very clear, women should not define their worth by their sex appeal at any age, but trying to into your elder years is a losing battle. What makes women sexual from an anthropological perspective is their fertility; a post-menopausal woman who is far from fertile simply isn’t going to compete with a young 25-year-old.
But regardless of age, I’m a huge proponent of modesty. Modesty allows us to define ourselves through our personalities, our beauty inside and out (not sexuality), and our values. When we treat ourselves as nothing more than a body, we allow others to do the same. In today’s day and age, women have been lied to and told that their worth comes from their latest nude Instagram post rather than their internal beauty.
What’s so sad about Madonna is that she hasn’t found wisdom in her 63 years - she still clings to her sexuality as her defining feature, rather than accepting the wonderful things that come with age. And, on top of that, photoshopping herself into oblivion to maintain the façade that she looks exactly as she did 40 years ago reminds us that vanity doesn’t necessarily fade with time.
Nancy Reagan, on the other hand, posing with her family and smiling like a wonderful grandma, is a role model for young women. She lived classically. She married a good man, raised her children, and stood alongside her husband as they fought for a stronger America. She was beautiful as she aged, and she didn’t desperately cling to her sexuality.
So, I asked. Who do you want to be? A 63-year-old woman, trying to stay relevant as a sex symbol, or a 64-year-old woman, embracing her role and surrounded by the people she loves?
The first Twitter responses stayed on topic, at least. Feminists, staying true to their brand, declared that they would OF COURSE rather be Madonna because “how boring” would it be the grandmother of a big, loving family at 64? Instead, they’d prefer to pose almost nude on a bed at 63, clinging to their sexuality by photoshopping every inch of themselves.
Then, Leftists veered off course to distract from the crux of the issue by going in two directions. First, one Twitter user quoted an unauthorized biography of Nancy Reagan written by Kitty Kelley, an author who has been called a “professional sensationalist" and the "consummate gossip monger”:
Hmmm, seems like a trustworthy and reliable resource to quote.
Then, the Left decided to compare Madonna’s and Nancy Reagan’s record on AIDS, which was roundly debunked in this thread by Giancarlo Sopo:
So in order to avoid the actual argument I was making, the Left evaded the real questions. Which is, of course, right on brand.
So there’s the recap of how and why I trended on Twitter. What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below!
A CHRISTMAS CAROL: Book Club Scheduling Survey!
The Classically Abby book club is convening this WEDNESDAY (12/15), but I want to choose the best time for all of you. Please take the survey below and let me know what the best time is for you! I will try to choose a time that works best based on your responses. I can’t wait!
What You Might Have Missed On Classically Abby…
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I'm a wife, mama-to-be, opera singer, entrepreneur, YouTuber, and your guide to becoming the classic woman you've always wanted to be! Follow me on YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter to see how! And together, let's be classic.
I agree with your concern but have reservations with your characterization and solutions. Life doesn’t have to be either/or; Madonna/Whore.
Good girls or girls who promote positive moral and family values can also be robustly sexual. Your dichotomy is one we inherited from thousands of years of sexual control necessary because of the need for different forms of social order. Today, we have other resources for obtaining control without deferring to old sexual fears. But good observation though, and we DO need to restart the debate. So thx. P
Why do you care what other women do with their lives in the first place? Go ahead and spew your 1950s “classic” (read: misogynistic and outdated) views into the Twittersphere but leave the choices of other women out of it. Isn’t conservatism about letting people live their lives as they choose anyways?