This past weekend, there were two pop culture events that began a conversation about celebrity and aging, the star image and legacy: the recent release of "The Last Movie Stars," the documentary series about Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, and Joni Mitchell's historic performance at the Newport Folk Festival on Sunday, July 24.
So often, notable figures such as Newman, Woodward and Mitchell are frozen in the public consciousness at the peak of their popularity, and especially at the height of their youth and beauty. It can be hard for artists to stay relevant as they grow older because physical appearance is such a major part of their star power. But the HBO Max docuseries and the festival performance prove the error in valuing celebrities only at their so-called "peak."
