Anything that combines gender, age, and sexual tension is sure to be on my "to watch" list so it's no surprise that I am watching NBC's latest summer fluff entry, "Age of Love." Here's the plot . . . 30-year old Aussie tennis phenom Mark "The Scud Stud" Philippoussis is looking for love. Serving first, seven gorgeous, sophisticated women in their 40s. In the opposing court, six fun, enthusiastic women in their 20s. As NBC's press promises, "In the end, both Mark and the viewers will discover if love is truly ageless."
In episode one, only the "older" women were introduced, much to the surprise and initial despair of Mark. By the end of the show, he admitted, "age is just a number...irrelevant..I've kept an open mind . . . age and numbers mean nothing to me."
The 20-year-olds were introduced this week and I was pleasantly surprised. It appeared that after Mark got to know the women in their 20s - who were featured in a less than intellectually flattering way - he missed the older women! Those were his exact words! When he got to spend time again with Lynn (age 40), Maria (age 42), Jayanna (age 39), Jennifer (age 48), Angela (age 40), and Kelli (age 40), he breathed a sigh of relief and said within the first 5 seconds "I missed them . . . I'm happy they're here."
He realized that while the 20-year-olds are beautiful (he had a perma grin on his face while stuttering "she's hot" after meeting each one), they are unsure of themselves and are - and I quote again - "not as attractive as someone who knows what they want, who's passionate, who's hungry for success." "Amen!" says every 40+ woman. "Finally, someone who understands us." "Finally, a man who appreciates us."
I have to say that I'm not surprised. My PrimeTime Women research indicated that it's the older women who exude self-confidence, beauty within and without, passion, zest, and a "what the hell" attitude towards life. That kind of self esteem is sexy. Kudos to Mark Philippoussis for having the smarts and maturity to figure this out.
Who knows what the next episodes will hold. The producers are mixing it up and creating drama in what's come to be the standard for these types of shows -- both sets of women will be living together. Things are sure get interesting between the women and between the women and Mark.
We'll see if age is a factor in falling in love. And we'll see if the 20-year-olds learn something from the wit, wisdom and grace of the 40-year-olds. Tune in and let me know what you think.
RSS Feed