There is an American culture, and there are American values. Even the most globalized ideas and products–Nike, Apple, Instagram–were born of the American spirit in the way of football stars and cowboys. The ideas we produce, the items we sell, the sports we play–these are the things that make up the soul of a country. And if this soul could be condensed into just a few words, ours would be youth and vitality.
It is this aspect of American culture that has made recent elections so jarring. One hears of a time when presidents were supposed to have a certain strength about them; never before have we been represented by leaders quite so old or feeble. And yet there is a perspective from which our embrace of older leaders could be considered a step forward, rather than a regression. For perhaps too long we have considered our elders invalids, burdens to be shipped off to nursing homes. Things are changing.
At 78, Trump will soon become the oldest president to take the White House. By the time President Biden steps down from the presidency, he will be 81. One can observe similar trends across all aspects of American culture; the average age
of Hollywood actors is approaching 50, and the average age of artists with a number one solo album increased four years between 1999 and 2019. In the field of tech, billionaires like microbiologist Brian Hanley are investing millions into life-extending technology with the hopes of living up to 160 years. Cryonics, a process in which a body is frozen after death to be revived when superior technology is available, has led some to believe death is only the beginning. Perhaps in this new social and technological climate, we no longer view age as the defining aspect of human health it once was.
The question, of course, is whether this is a valid perspective or simply a delusion. Many, if not all, of the recent inventions that have come out with the intention of stopping or reversing the biological aging process lack scientific proof. Regardless of one’s political affiliation, President Biden’s speeches throughout his presidency have demonstrated that at least some people will not go unscathed by the aging process. And Trump, no matter how much spray tan he applies, cannot prevent the skin beneath from growing pale and wrinkled.
Have we gone a step too far in our quest to reverse the stigma that has long surrounded aging? In our attempts to embrace the 50s and 60s as the new middle age? Or are we just beginning to unpack one of the biggest issues our culture faces? One thing is certain: the American perspective is changing. In the process of electing our newest conservative leader, we have rejected some of the fundamental values American culture has long held dearest.
