MTV is 30 years old? When did that happen?

While conversing with friends on Facebook, it came to my attention that MTV is 30 years old this year.  I remember hearing about that, but I don't remember freaking out about it like I am right now.

It occurs to me that teenagers today might be thinking the music of 1981 is as ancient as we thought the music of 1941 was when we were teenagers.

Are they looking at Rod Stewart, Bananarama and Pat Benatar the same way we looked at Bing Crosby, The Andrews Sisters and Judy Garland?

More Senior Citizens

Other people who will qualify for their "Yeah, baby!" discount this year...

Steve Earle
Rowan Atkinson
Christopher McDonald
Penn Jillette
Mick Mars
Chow Yun-Fat
Jimmy Smits
Bill Gates
Jane Kaczmarek
Kevin Costner
Eddie Van Halen
Angus Young
John Grisham
Arsenio Hall
Gilbert Gottfried
Jeff Daniels
Kelsey Grammer
Howard Jones
Steven Jobs
Dee Snider
Gary Sinise
Bruce Willis
Earl Campbell
Michael O'Keefe
Tom Bergeron
Olga Korbut
Debra Winger
Bill Paxton
Roseanne Cash
Dana Carvey
Sandra Bernhard
Julie Hagerty
Laurie Metcalf
David Alan Grier
Willem Dafoe
Billy Bob Thornton
Wayne Knight
Peter Gallagher
Nina Blackwood
Maria Shriver
Whoopi Goldberg
Howie Mandel
Billy Idol
Steven Wright

Now, that's some good looking senior citizens, right there

Six months ago, my 1974 graduating class of Thomas Jefferson High School in Port Arthur, Texas decided to start getting together for lunch once a month.  This Saturday was our biggest gathering yet and we had a fabulous time, as always.

When I saw this picture that was posted on Facebook last night, I was struck by the fact that this year we will (or already have) hit that magical senior citizen discount threshold of being 55 years old.

Now, you tell me.  Do those people up there look like senior citizens to you? I think we need a new phrase for the discounts we baby boomers have so rightfully earned.  The phrase must not include the words senior, silver, golden or elderly.

How about a "Yeah, Baby!" discount?

"I would like to use my 'Yeah, Baby!' discount, please."

I like the sound of it.


.

Huh? What? Huh?

LAST WEEK...

Carly: I'm $2 short to get free shipping on my Amazon.com order. Do you want to order something?

Laurie: Sure. Let me check my "shopping cart." (Note: My Amazon.com "shopping cart" has so much stuff in it that I have nightmares that Amazon will accidentally order all that stuff and I'll have to get a second job to pay for it all.)

Laurie: I'll order "Paranormal Uncensored." It's written by that guy I took a ghost hunting class from in Lafayette.

Carly: You owe me $17.00

Laurie: Weird! I have exactly $17.00 in my wallet. It's a sign.

FIVE DAYS LATER:

Carly (handing me my book): Here you go.

Laurie: What's that? Hey, that book's written by the guy I took that ghost hunting class from.

Carly (looking at me with a strange look on her face): Uh...you ordered it...Amazon...free shipping...

Laurie: Oh, yeah. HAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!! How much do I owe you?

Carly: Uh...you paid me...$17...exact change...you made a big deal about the fact that you had the exact change.

Laurie: Hahahahaha!!!!! Right, right, right. Thanks.

Carly looked at me again with a puzzled, worried look on her face then quietly walked away.

Did I mention that Carly's only 27-ish? When she's 53-ish she'll understand.

I'll Buy That

If advertisers are interested in marketing to a certain segment of the over-50 female population, I would like to recommend my role models above as spokespersons.

Alhough we aren't wealthy by any stretch of the imagination, our children are grown so we do have a little extra money to play with. While we're spending a not insignificant portion of that I-bought-it-because-I-felt-like-it money on booze and tips and wrinkle creams, we might be persuaded to try some of your new-fangled products if you use a little clever marketing aimed at those of us who are listening to more than just the oldies and who can almost work most of our electronic devices without the help of our children.

Not everyone over 50 looks like they're ready for the rocking chair.