The Back-Up Plan, part 9 - SPOILERS

[Fleur de Lisa]

Wow. This whole age difference thing has surprised me. I never gave it one nano-second of thought, and I wonder how many of the women who went to the movie even gave that any merit.

First of all, JLo looks younger than 40 in this film. She was outstandingly beautiful. No doubt about it. And her T's and A's are still phenomenal!! Every guy that I know thinks she is extremely good looking, even if they aren't crazy about her acting ability, singing or celebrity. She is in the best shape of her life (did a triathlon 6 months after her babies's birth, nm!) I thought that her and Alex looked like they were definitely about the same age. I actually think Alex looks somewhat older now than when he was in ML. Jen Aniston is 40, she's in rom-coms. Sandra Bullock--the queen of rom-coms is over 40. I could go on and on. Hell, even Meryl Streep has been in a rom-com as recently as last year!! Who would have ever thought that would happen?

I am assuming this age thing is coming from an article of which I haven't read. I think the only detriment to JLo isn't her age, body, or any anything outwardly physical, I think most of her critics can't get past the whole PDiddy, scarf dress, Jenny from the block, over-media exposed romance with Ben Affleck aspect of her celebrity. And I will be honest, I found that entire portion of her life to be annoying. But, she was younger, beautiful, in the public eye and making tons of money, can't say that I wouldn't have done some of those same things! Except for Diddy. And maybe the dress.

To her credit, she has seemed to settle into her personal life-which shows growth and maturity on her part that she's gotten her priorities straight. I've always just assumed that she was a big-time diva, but even I've had to re-think that in light of seeing her in so many interviews where she comes across as undeniably sweet and genuine. Unless she is a far better actress than I give her credit for, she comes across as really down-to-earth.

I am firmly in the minority, there is no way I would have accepted someone like Drew Barrymore in this role. Sorry, just wouldn't have bought it. The entire premise of the movie would have had to be changed, and that is not what BUP was about.

[darkstarrising]

For what it's worth....P'Gal noted a few days ago that Alex was trending #1 on Yahoo. When I checked earlier yesterday, he was still # 1. What struck me though was that JLo was not in the top 10. Later in the day, Alex was still # 1, but JLo was now #4.

I just checked. Alex is still #1 and JLo is nowhere to be seen.

What do I get (perhaps naively) out of this? That with the premiere of BUP brought Alex to a lot of people's attention and they're looking him up. These same people likely know who JLo is, and she' getting less 'hits'. It'll be interesting to see how Alex fares over the next few days.

BTW, a woman I work with was going to go see BUP this week with me. I told her I had seen it over the weekend and she seemed disappointed, thinking I wouldn't want to sit through it twice. I told her I would be more than happy to sit through it again, saying that she'd find it both touching and funny. I didn't tell her I certainly wouldn't mind getting another wonderful dose of Alex. She has no idea who he is and I didn't want to prejudice her. I'm anxious to see what she thinks of him.

ETA: nearly posted over you ma Fleur I have to agree, JLo looks good for her age and I really didn't get a mismatch feel between JLo and Alex.

[Fleur de Lisa]

For what it's worth....P'Gal noted a few days ago that Alex was trending #1 on Yahoo. When I checked earlier yesterday, he was still # 1. What struck me though was that JLo was not in the top 10. Later in the day, Alex was still # 1, but JLo was now #4.

I just checked. Alex is still #1 and JLo is nowhere to be seen.

What do I get (perhaps naively) out of this? That with the premiere of BUP brought Alex to a lot of people's attention and they're looking him up. These same people likely know who JLo is, and she' getting less 'hits'. It'll be interesting to see how Alex fares over the next few days.

BTW, a woman I work with was going to go see BUP this week with me. I told her I had seen it over the weekend and she seemed disappointed, thinking I wouldn't want to sit through it twice. I told her I would be more than happy to sit through it again, saying that she'd find it both touching and funny. I didn't tell her I certainly wouldn't mind getting another wonderful dose of Alex. She has no idea who he is and I didn't want to prejudice her. I'm anxious to see what she thinks of him.

ETA: nearly posted over you ma Fleur I have to agree, JLo looks good for her age and I really didn't get a mismatch feel between JLo and Alex.

I am not even kidding you when I say that I mooned over her almost as much as I did Alex. Well, not really, but I was floored by how fantastic she looked. I just kept saying that I wanted to be her, and not just b/c she was with Alex, it was her hair, the clothes she wore, and my goodness, those shoes. Sigh.

And you can post over me any time, baby.

[darkstarrising]

As for the shoes, they'd be a hazard to my health....I'd fall off them

[Fleur de Lisa]

As for the shoes, they'd be a hazard to my health....I'd fall off them

.....well, if you wore them in the movie, Alex would be there to catch you.....

[PNWgal]

I find it interesting that 40 is considered "old" by Hollywood standards. Some of the most beautiful and actively working women in Hollywood are over 40.

Fleur makes some good points. JLo's made some questionable decisions in her past (BTW, Fleur, I wouldn't have touched that dress with a 10-foot pole), and it's hard to dismiss the rumors and speculation that she's a raging diva. The one that sticks out in my mind is a story I read in some supermarket tabloid about how she turned into a Mom Nazi after the twins were born and how she didn't want Marc doing anything with the babies because he couldn't do anything right. People remember things like that. Personally, I've always considered her a better actress than a singer...and let's face it. Jealousy is an ugly emotion and people just HATE it when others are successful when they are not.

However, Alex is new and fresh and completely charming. I have yet to see an interview yet where he's petulant, rude, or impatient with the idiotic questions that he's asked - he's been nothing but a perfect gentleman. He's good to his fans, and people remember THAT. Our boy is HOT right now - he's STILL trending #1 on Yahoo!, as DSR pointed out.

I also agree with Fleur that someone younger would not have worked in this movie - the premise is a woman who's gotten to a point in her life where she's comfortable with who she is and now she wants a baby before it's too late. Besides, I think a good portion of women undergoing fertility treatments and inseminations are in their 30's and 40's.

On a side note - I went to a baby shower this weekend, fully prepared to sell the female members of Mr. PNW's family on the merits of BUP, only to find out half of them had gone to see it this weekend - and they all LOVED it. I thoroughly enjoyed answering questions about "that really good looking guy" starring with Jennifer Lopez.

[Fleur de Lisa]

Pgalhoneypie~~

I was kidding about the dress--or scarf as I think it is more appropriately called. I need more material than that. Hell, she needed more material than that!

Great news about the baby shower attendees going to se BUP--there's our demo all in one room!

And are there any age restrictions that doctors have for insemination? I am curious if it's something they allow younger women to do, or if they counsel them to wait until they hit a certain age--in the instance of wanting to have a baby alone, not infertility cases.

And extreme celebrity does bring out intense emotions in people. And great gobs of rumors and gossip. Look at the teeny bit we experienced the other day concerning Alex being misquoted or whatever the heck that was. Imagine it times a million. That's JLo.

[darkstarrising]

On a side note - I went to a baby shower this weekend, fully prepared to sell the female members of Mr. PNW's family on the merits of BUP, only to find out half of them had gone to see it this weekend - and they all LOVED it. I thoroughly enjoyed answering questions about "that really good looking guy" starring with Jennifer Lopez.

YEA!!! Let the word of mouth continue and let loose the O'Loughlin

[Luxe de Luxe]

Part of the criticisms about J-Lo that I read seem to stem from the movie choices she makes.

Most of the reviewers that I read bemoan the fact that the actress who took on George Clooney in Out of Sight (a fantastic film) keeps making rom-com crap (Maid in Manhattan, anyone?). The sense I get is that they think she can do way better.

I just hope all this 'trending' bodes well for AOL. I think he'll have to choose carefully. I wouldn't like to see him get trapped in Matthew McConaughey land.

[cassysj]

Pgalhoneypie~~



And are there any age restrictions that doctors have for insemination? I am curious if it's something they allow younger women to do, or if they counsel them to wait until they hit a certain age--in the instance of wanting to have a baby alone, not infertility cases.

I don't think there are age restrictions. It was an idea I toyed with in my late twenties. From what I've read there are big drop offs in success over 35 and it rarely works in women over forty. That is not far off from other conception methods.

[nutmegger911]

Fleur, PGal, thank you for voicing that so well. I agree 100%. And it seems that there are women out there who are bent on scolding her for not acting her age. Hey, she has better abs than most twenty-somethings these days. She seems comfortable with herself. Maybe they should get over themselves.

What incentive does anyone have to stop telling women to get lost once hit 40? Especially when a) so many just slink away, and b) many of those leading the charge are also women. (what's that about?)

Yeah, Fleur, I was psyched about the triathlon. Maybe I can be JLo when I grow up!

[PNWgal]

LOL - these days I need A LOT more material than that, Fleur.

As far as I know, there's no age restrictions on insemination. For some women, it's the only way they're going to be able to give birth...and it's quite a process. By the time you narrow down your choices, you almost know how many times the donor visits the bathroom and what he's had for dinner on the day he donated.

I guess gossip is one of the downsides of our boy becoming more popular...and I think it's horrible that people set out to hurt a genuinely nice guy because he's well-loved by fans.

[darkstarrising]

Yeah, P'Gal....that's one of the main downsides of success ....your life ceases to be your own, you have to watch what you say, who you're with, what you wear, etc. Even if you manage to walk that narrow line, someone is waiting to see if you lose your balance, and if you do, make the most of it. If you do manage to keep your balance, someone is waiting to push you off, such as taking something you say out of context.

It's a life I'll never understand, nor want.

[wpgrace]

I don't think there's an age restriction on inseminations except for Dr. by Dr making that judgement call... there was some British woman who gave birth at 60 and there was convo about the morality of creating a baby when the Mommy might die... tho Lord knows Larry King keeps indiscriminately spraying his damn seed everywhere and where's the moral outrage about that??? And of course they'll inseminate Octomom, even tho she's a moron and a deadbeat, but she's YOUNG!!!!!!!

And as I said, part of the point of BUP was an older woman, who already HAD everything else and who could take care of herself, now wanting the one thing she didn't have... besides a husband... and so Zoe was supposed to appear her age, not younger...

But I must admit, I thought JLo did look older than Alex. Part of it was the way the two of em look, but part of it was Stan's character. He was NOT in the same self-assured place that Zoe was. He hadn't succeeded yet in life. He even said that at one point. That said, I don't know why there is anything wrong with that... female peeps can marry younger male peeps now.

BUT, JLo made her name with the sexy dress and provocative lifestyle and picture of PDiddy (cos he wasn't just Diddy then; the P was still there to protect him from his fans... ) grabbing her tits, and Affleck (the man not the duck) giving her a ginormous tacky ring... and I think that excess is maybe where some of the pushback is now coming from... and whatever Diva crap she supposedly pulled on people. She's beautiful, but it's a 40s beautiful. And those who don't like her are now taking potshots at her. If this movie rallies... or if the next one does... they'll go back to kissing her asset. Cos it's Hollywood. And that's the way they roll.

[redwinter101]

Now here's something to, er, get your teeth into - an article on Alex from the LA Times - with a DIVINE pic...

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/ne ... 5387.story

Red