By Jody Lee
radio host, author, political and lifestyle blogger, media consultant
Published: May 31, 2009

I have never gotten into any of the model search tv shows that we’ve been inundated with over the past few years.  This one, though, caught my attention.  Because this one celebrates older women in particular – to be exact, women over 35.  That’s almost Fab age!

Now given my earlier rant about Susan Boyle, you might be tempted to call me a hypocrite at this point, but give a moment to explain, will you?

In blogging about Susan, I raved that “Has anyone or anything ever proven so vividly or so profoundly that it truly is what’s on the inside that counts?  Packaging be damned.  This 48 year old shy, quirky Scot made us look beyond what our eyes can see and look instead with our hearts.”

I meant every word of that.  But let’s look at what is happening on The Look, as season 2 gets underway this month on TV Land.

As with all of these competitions, I could do without the living together angle.  Seems kind of silly and pointless.  The competition is the fun.  I could not care less how well they get along with each other.

But speaking of the competition, up for grabs is a modeling contract, cash and a spread in Self magazine.

No one can deny that it is what is inside a woman that counts the most.  And I specifically rant in my Boyle blog about the number of gorgeous women with no sign of talent who are famous for absolutely nothing. 

But this, I think, steps outside of preconceived notion of beauty that society holds.  Not in the bold way that Susan Boyle does, but a way that emphasizes that physical beauty is not limited to those under 30.  That aging can be a beautiful thing as well.  It encourages the mind of society as a whole to think outside the beauty box, so to speak.

Granted, these are all gorgeous women.  But check out the beautiful 70-something year old.  And the incredible 50-somethings.  See, the point is not that they are lovely.  It is that they are outside the “lovely” norm that insists nothing is as beautiful as 25.

I don’t know if I’m expressing myself well.  I hope you get my point.