The cult of Baddie Winkle
This photo of 87-year-old Baddie Winkle is going straight on my ‘Age Is All The Rage’ Pinterest board. The great grandma from Kentucky is big on social media (943k followers on Instagram, 229k on Twitter), where pictures of senior citizens popping pills or flicking peace signs, in trashy hip hop t-shirts go viral. The Cult of Baddie Winkle began when the octogenarian was playing around on Twitter with her great granddaughter, and has culminated in an ad campaign for LA streetwear label Dimepiece:
Baddie Winkle told Paper magazine:
‘I stay active. I’m never still. I’m up doing something all the time, and I’ve always been pretty healthy. I’ve worked hard all my life. Up until two years ago, I was mowing 15 acres on my farm. Then I moved from my farm into town and I go to water aerobics three times a week…I really hope I can get other old people moving, instead of sitting around all day acting like life is over.’
Discussion (18 Comments)
To each his own of course but I think ‘invisible’ a big upgrade over vulgar spectacle…with the K Clan trying to corner the market in that ‘asset class’, all this attention at all costs nonsense astonishingly finds even lower depths.
Any woman at any age with a Troy ounce of dignity is so much more interesting.Dee says:
Agree wholeheartedly with GSL.
Quiet dignity may be ‘invisible’ (to some) yet it speaks volumes for so many of us.Judith says:
GLS,
Yes, to each her own. Typical for a man to dictate that a woman expressing her joy for life is a spectacle. My mother lived to 87 and though would never have craved media attention, was vibrant, charming, funny, and sexy – yes sexy. Men half her age told me how hot she was and always credited her timeless beauty to her vivacious, outgoing, and sometime outrageous, personality.
Go back to your closet and organize your stuffed shirts.I see both sides of the coin: one side says “good for her.” The other side says “she’s a little out there in many aspects.” But really, if we were all the same, how boring we’d be, right? jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.comRuth says:
The key to a happy life is to disregard what other people think! We can’t live our lives trying to please others – if we try we are going to be desperately sad as it’s an impossible and miserable task! I think it’s great she is out there and enjoying it! Why not? Is she hurting anyone? What is vulgarity anyway? Connected to some sort of society standard for conformists to hang on to? The death of true originality and creativity is probably found within ‘quiet dignity’ . I am sure everyone who has pushed the boundaries of something has been called this! All hail vulgarity!
Beverley says:
Good for her -totally not invisible although I think only an American would be this ‘out there’ – perhaps Brits have more dignity – visible or invisible?
Fifi says:
I’m not really understanding the critical comments today. Baddie is in my mind on a different planet to the Kardashians, the only nod to public ‘exposure’ being her playing around with Twitter. If a fashion brand asked her to model for them (and presumably make some money for it), what should she do, refuse? She’s obviously comfortable with herself and not swayed by others’ opinions, and we should all be so lucky. There are precious few women (or men) who don’t feel that being ‘out there’ is a crime, and instead limit themselves to stay under the radar of critical opinion. Generally I would say, as someone who has divided my time between the UK & US, that British people are more likely to take style risks than Americans. But at the same time, I feel that Americans are on the whole less judgemental about others’ clothing choices.
TNMA says:
Ruth, Beverley, Fifi – Agree with you all and am reminded of the Diana Vreeland quote:
‘A little bad taste is like a splash of paprika. We all need a splash of bad taste, it’s hearty it’s healthy, it’s physical. I think we could use more of it. No taste is what I’m against.’I had not heard the term “dimepiece” in about 10-15 years and back then it was very degrading when I did hear it. After a couple days traveling without wifi, now back on laptop and see on ‘Urban Dictionary’ that the term has evolved into something relatively positive. Didn’t know there was a label called Dime Piece either as I assumed she was doing some ironic pose as a groupie. After further review: not a “vulgar spectacle”.
Diana Vreeland was one of the all time greats!GSL – oh, lost in translation! I thought dimepiece was just the name of a fashion label, had to Google it. But obviously now I want to know its former meaning…
Ooooo, interesting discussion! I also had never heard of dimepiece, either the brand or the slang term. I can imagine the outdated term may have meant “cheap”?
Baddie Winkle looks like fun, and I have no problem with people of any age being outrageous if they want to be. I reserve the right to roll my eyes, though. 😉
We interviewed Baddie Winkle a couple of weeks ago and found her to be much less brash than her Instagram feed suggests – but she does love to have fun! You can read the interview here http://seniorplanet.org/catching-up-with-instagram-star-baddie-winkle/
Em Fierra says:
She is noticed because of how she looks and what she wears–not for her nature, intellect, or talent. Granddaughter is well over 40 and loves the new “manager” income from her Granna. Look up the meaning of dime piece on Urban Dictionary then decide if “Stealing your man since 1928” is so cute, funny or tasteful. Sad if you ask me. I am going to run my first marathon at 80 and skydive at 85; and if my grandchildren and I are healthly I may move to Ukraine or Russia and teach!
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She’s enough to make me almost want to join Instagram. She’s ace! xxx
PS Lambeth Town Hall this Sunday if you’re free!