Our culture is obsessed with youth and beauty. It astonishes us when an average-looking, middle-aged person manages to slip past the gatekeepers and find their way on television. I remember an author on NPR (writing on aging) mentioned that she took a trip to New York, and judging by peoples' reactions to her, she wondered if they'd passed a law against being as old as she was.

It's a depressing state of affairs, which is why there is something inspiring about this clip. Just watch.