The 50 Plus Male

Remember the simple days of watching television? You clicked the power button on your remote control, and with the exception of using the volume up/down or channel up/down buttons, that was pretty much all that was required for an enjoyable evening viewing your favorite shows. Cable TV then became the first revolutionizing volley that forced a change in our viewing habits, accompanied by television product enhancements like flat-screens and picture-in-picture technology. These changes brought with them what has become the bane of many consumers, especially boomers who recall the simpler days: remote controls that require an advanced degree in mechanical engineering to operate.

OK, so some of you are still saying “simple enough,” right? Well I’m here to tell you that I’ve always considered myself fairly technologically proficient, but now I’m not so sure. One of my two best friends has a television system that I cannot operate; I mean I can’t even turn the damn TV set on!

Let me attempt to describe it for you. The TV screen is boring without content so we first encounter his set-top box from Verizon. Now that we have channels to watch, we have to deal with the fact that his HD picture technology falls flat with the TV’s built-in sound system. So he added a few speakers; ah, that would be seven to be precise: 1 center, 2 front, 2 side 2 rear. Now add the subwoofer to really power the bass sound behind all the action scenes. All of this (of course) needs to be driven by an audio receiver with Dolby Digital THX processing, and that might as well handle the video too…HDMI in/HDMI out. Hang in there friends, we’re far from done…What about the pictures, like home videos, movies from Netflix or Amazon? Let’s add in his PC. It runs Windows Media Center, plays music, connects to his shared hard drive with all the family pictures and videos, and (wait for it) provides access to the internet. Another HDMI in/HDMI out, set-up the WiFi, add a keyboard and mouse. Of course, being the early adopter, my buddy immediately jumped on the Blu-ray bandwagon. Now we’ve got a second remote control. That’s two too many, so lets’ throw in a Harmony universal remote and program it to control the TV, receiver, the Blu-ray player, and the PC (i.e power, channels, volume, etc.). Now we’re done.

Oh wait, I forgot to mention the choice of over 400 channels. By the time you’re finished scrolling through all of the choices to see what program you’d like to watch, it’s time to go to bed. This action can only be accomplished (getting back to where I started) if you know how to turn the “confalootin” TV system on…how am I ever going to learn this unless Scotty beams up from The Starship Enterprise and teaches me how to use the universal remote, which easily has over 40 controls?

At this point you may be wondering “where does it go from here?” Vinod Khosla, a well-respected investor and founder of Khosla Ventures provides an indication in his recent article for TechCrunch:

TV 2.0 (Miso, Flingo, Maker Studios, both first and second screen apps as well as content production & sourcing): “TV as an interactive and social experience both on the primary and the second screen.” Most U.S. Internet users, I am told now, have a second screen in front of them when watching TV. Whether it is true or not, it soon will be, and the interaction that is possible will allow for all kinds of creativity and user engagement shows/applications/techniques. More importantly, program production, be it video for TV, audio for radio, or text for next-generation news formats (tomorrow’s “newspapers”?) could be crowdsourced or gamified. This allows for new personal brands to emerge (much like the Drudge Report or Politico or some YouTube channels that are emerging now). Better experiences for users, better targeting for advertisers, more access for programmers and the creative types are all likely. Your proxy or agent prioritizing your viewing or reading queue will be an adjunct area. The big guys and the small guys meanwhile will battle for newer first screen experiences and applications.

You’ll have to excuse me for a second; I need to gulp some Dramamine to alleviate my seasickness.

Folks, the last thing I mean to imply is that we boomers are falling behind the times; truth be told, just the opposite is happening. According to Brent Green, a nationally-known marketing consultant and author of Marketing to Leading-Edge Baby Boomers: Perceptions, Principles, Practices, Predictions,  “Boomers are today’s built-in recession cure. They constitute a market force largely unabated by economic recession or the aging process. Boomers are the future of many product categories, including healthcare, pharmaceuticals, anti-aging therapies, retirement housing, continuing education, luxury and educational travel, online social networking, consumer and aging-in-place technologies, financial services, consumer packaged goods, many categories of durable goods, purchases for grandchildren, home renovations, and so forth.”

Green goes on to explain that just because boomers are getting closer to retirement, that doesn’t automatically equate with being calm and peaceful as we move ahead. Behavioral data suggests we’ll continue to remain active consumers for many, many years. Even with today’s financial retirement woes, we’re still going to be more affluent, hence prevailing as an important market segment for a long time.

Always feels good to know you’re still relevant; I just never figured it would require graduate study in television operation…

-Neal

(Note: Special thanks to my friend’s son, Josh, for his apt description of his dad’s TV system, which Josh [a technical marvel] helped design. Josh authors the Spirited Cocktails blog—a link can be found in my Blogroll)

“Nothing against Zsa Zsa Gabor, but she is single-handedly bringing down Medicare.”~Oct. 11th tweet from Albert Einstein

No folks, this isn’t a misprint, just a recent missive from famed comedian, actor, filmmaker, and author Albert Brooks (nee Albert Einstein). It’s also a rather prescient remark that could have been included in his recent book, 2030: The Real Story of What Happens to America, which I just finished reading.

Many of Brooks’s fans would aptly describe him as the consummate worrywart, and that perception is evident throughout the book’s narrative. In 2030, however, his concerns are frighteningly plausible, albeit mixed with his trademark quirky sense of humor. The storyline  follows an America where the population of “olds” (those over 70) is continually increasing due to major medical breakthroughs—cancer has been cured, cosmetic rejuvenation drugs have exploded in both their level of efficacy and use, exciting new discoveries are made in the treatment of bone deterioration—much to the dismay of young people, who see their chances at the good life dissipating because of growing resentment at how their elders are reaping these benefits, and other entitlements at the expense of sapping America’s resources. Out of this resentment, gangs form and  violence against the “olds” escalates, much to the dismay of the current President, who while empathetic, knows he’ll risk getting re-elected by exhibiting any outward support; most significantly by incurring the wrath of the political will of the AARP (whose power is exponential compared to today’s real-world organization).

The story unfolds additional, albeit equally crucial plotlines involving our country’s massive debt (making our current levels seem paltry), strikingly detailed by the problems resulting from a massive earthquake in Los Angeles. A by-product of this dilemma is a relationship with the Chinese that (without wanting to reveal too much detail for those of you who haven’t read the book) will seem untenable yet possibly all-too-real.

As the “olds” versus the younger generation issues provide the book’s foundation, the logical extension of Brook’s musings really hit home. The solvency of our social security program has been under intense scrutiny and Gen X and Gen Y are fearful of what the future holds for them. They wonder how to achieve the “American dream” of home ownership, now that most credit windows have been shuttered amidst the recent Wall Street crisis, combined with more stringent mortgage-applicability requirements.  

Boomers (and seniors) meanwhile  face their own hurdles. If you’re 50 plus years-of-age and have been recently laid-off, prepare to encounter bias in hiring due to perceived notions of being too expensive and not technologically proficient. In addition, boomers represent a proportion of our country’s wealth and consumer spending that dwarfs the amount of marketing expenditures geared towards us—just look at television and movies, where the magic demographic is 18-34 year olds. Such nonsense make you think that Brooks may want to re-define the “olds” as anyone over 50…boy is that ever a chilling thought!    

Growing older sometimes seems as if it’s an anathema, as opposed to being viewed as a well-earned right and privilege (the book addresses this debate). Who among us has the right to impose a ceiling on when we’re no longer allowed to thrive? Boomers, in the opinion of many (including me), are not going to allow ourselves to be ignored; we’re simply too vital for this to happen…

-Neal 

My wife, Nita, is often the recipient of a somewhat “left-handed” compliment from me. I throw it out  there whenever she asks a question that almost causes whiplash as I quickly turn my head towards her silently wondering “where did that thought come from?” Over the years I’ve come to accept these outlier queries as a by-product of Nita’s fertile creativity. She provides the right-brain qualities (intuitive, random thinking) of our union  while I  counterbalance with the left-brain (rational, analytical) component.

As a member of the boomer-generation, I like to think experience and wisdom ensure the capacity to adequately answer  anything asked by my wife. Sometimes, however, these surprise questions from Nita have a hidden aspect to them…they’re (unwittingly?) dropped as potential landmines if I don’t watch my step in how I address them.

I’m not alone in tip-toeing around these not-so-innocuous lobs from my wife; I’m willing to bet almost 100% of us 50 plus males continually find ourselves attempting to politely dodge any kind of consternation when these types of questions are asked by our wives. These instances call for aplomb and quick analysis, not paralysis.

There are obvious examples of these bombshell questions from our wives; one of the most common being “Honey, is it OK if my mother comes live with us?” This one is so potentially “deadly” that it warrants a blog post unto itself, so let’s temporarily shun it aside (whew!). We’ll stick with two that are a bit less volatile to deal with.

First up is the inevitable worry expressed by so many wives when modeling a newly purchased outfit for their husbands: “Does this make me look fat?” When I first got married and Nita asked me this, I immediately got that “deer-in-a-headlight” look in my eyes and stuttered “Ugh, ugh no honey.” Needless to say, that reply provided zero support and I received a raised eyebrow look from Nita that was countering with “What exactly are you saying dear?”  I had inadvertently stepped on the landmine and immediately knew that having sex that night was totally out of any realm of possibility.

Nowadays, I calmly, coolly answer “it fits you just right, like it was made for you.” Momma didn’t raise no dummy guys, I’ve learned my lesson! This is not to say I don’t try to be honest with Nita; if I don’t find an outfit particularly appealing, it’s now broached with an “I like it but don’t love it” comment. Look-up the word “delicacy” guys, you’ll find it under “D” in the dictionary…

The second example of questions from Nita that signal “danger Will Robinson!, danger Will Robinson!” arises when she asks me anything that starts with “Honey, I was thinking, how would you feel if (fill-in the blank)?” I immediately know that any answer to these questions is going to cost serious money. More often than not, these questions are about home remodeling, such as “how would you feel if we knock-out this wall and replace it with custom built-in storage, a flat-screen TV, new lighting, and…(keep adding-up the $$$). In this case, wisdom has taught me to reply with “Hon, I never would have thought of that; it’s a great idea and we’ll definitely have to put it on our list once we can afford to do it.” At this point guys, I trust you still have that dictionary opened to “D.”

I have to give kudos to my wife; she constantly amazes me with her imaginative thinking, even with the inevitable possibility of brandishing an axe to our bank account. As for that “left-handed” compliment I mentioned at the beginning of this post…it’s short, sweet, and simple: “Honey, it never gets boring!”

-Neal

In early Spring 2009, I read an on-line article published on MSN.com written by John W. Schoen, entitled “Boomers Face Stark Choices in Bleak Economy.” I felt the piece was so acutely on-point in terms of clarity and my personal situation at the time that I composed a rather lengthy email to Mr. Schoen praising him for his efforts.

Mr. Schoen’s article is part of a series called Reinventing America. While I’ve provided you a link to his piece, I’ll list the salient points in broad brushstrokes for you:

1. The collapse of the financial, housing, and job markets is causing the American Dream to disappear and boomers now find themselves in unimaginable, inexplicable straits. Many of us will be working later in life than originally planned at stagnant or decreased compensation levels.

2. In addition to the blow of boomers facing losses in their retirement accounts due to Wall Street’s recent collapse, many are depleting them to meet basic living expenses.

3. Boomers, representing the generation born to post-war families who rejoiced in the “good times that lay ahead,” are experiencing a palpable shift away from similar expectations. Our currently woeful economic climate will last longer than anything we’re used to, forcing many of us to question whether we will ever return to prosperity.

4. Many of us may have already seen our peak earning years surprisingly fade away at a much younger age than ever anticipated.

5. Some job skills are no longer transferrable due to becoming obsolete.

6. Losing our jobs, even under exigent circumstances, has usurped much of our pride and caused people to isolate themselves and not want to reach out for help.

7. Many baby boomers are encountering age discrimination in the course of job-hunting and their experience and advanced skill-sets are not what many cost-conscious employers are seeking.

8. All of this is causing many of us to reinvent ourselves in the pursuit of new careers, and this was not in our original game plan. For many boomers, reinventing oneself is not only difficult, but practically impossible.

9. The financial advice we’ve received during the past couple of decades (investing in the stock market and holding for the long-term, sacrificing to feed your IRA’s and 401 K’s) has come with greater than anticipated risk

10. Anxiety and stress levels have shot through the roof and many of us feel that our upcoming/present “golden years” have become permanently tarnished.

In December 2009 Mr. Schoen wrote another article, “Bleak Job Scene Poses Challenge for Obama.” This article deals with the slight economic recovery coupled with the continuing bleak job outlook that is not likely to dissipate anytime in the near future. I touched on this perplexing phenomenon in a previous post, Calling for George.

Points discussed by Mr. Schoen include:

1. Don’t be fooled by the recent slowing of job losses; any kind of recovery is going to be a long, arduous process…particularly the rehiring of so many displaced workers.

2. The stimulus package is slowly impacting our economy favorably, but lingering questions remain…is it enough or are additional measures by our government needed?/is there much more the government can or should do to stimulate job creation?

3. Unemployment figures are misleading; they do not count discouraged workers (people who have given up looking for a job) or the underemployed. Count these groups and the unemployment figure dramatically rises.

4. The current recession outstrips the previous one in scope.

5. The belief that an increased demand for products and services will give reason for employers to hire is a key impetus behind the extension of unemployment benefits (even though extensions add to our federal debt).

6. Increasing access to credit for small businesses will be a chief component of any recovery, but there is debate over how to best accomplish this, be it through tax cuts or an additional stimulus package.

After reading this article, I once again got in touch with Mr. Schoen. I’m happy to report that Mr. Schoen nicely sent swift replies to both of my emails. I’d like to share some of his thoughts with you.

According to Mr. Schoen, “’Boomers Face Stark Choices…” was one of the toughest stories he’s had to write in 30 years of reporting; in fact a portion of it was autobiographical. Many of the men he spoke to while composing the article had similar feelings to what I had expressed in my reply email, “the deep need to provide for family and a feeling of profound failure when we are no longer able to do so—or at least in a manner we believe we should.”  Mr. Schoen calls this our “cave man” DNA.

Mr. Schoen also stated that “I heard from many couples that the experience has brought them closer together, partly out of necessity. But adversity does force you to ask questions you might not otherwise and forces choices you may have been avoiding. Maybe it’s because most couples who have made it this far come to the realization that they’re not in it for the money.”

Regarding the “Bleak Job Scene Poses Challenge…” article, Mr. Schoen wrote to me acknowledging “since our last correspondence, I had heard from hundreds more 50-somethings who report things are getting worse, not better. Some have burned through savings trying to ‘do the right thing’ by paying off an underwater mortgage, only to lose the house after many months/years trying to get a break from their lender. A few I’ve met are on the verge of homelessness and this prospect seems very real to many more.”

Mr. Schoen has found, however, that many of his readers seem to be moving ahead into this new, unexpected phase in their lives with renewed energy. “They have no choice” said Mr. Schoen. “They feel there’s no sense in letting themselves get depressed and bitter.”

He goes on to say that there is also a wider mood amongst his readers of what he calls “recession  fatigue.” There is a great desire on everyone’s part to see the glass half full, to acknowledge “things are bad but maintain hope that we’re all through the worst and life will be back to normal in a few months or years.” Unfortunately, this yearning seems to be hampering meaningful solutions to very real, persistent problems. The panic is over, but the long-term damage still requires serious repair.

In the end, echoing Mr. Schoen’s thoughts, no matter what happens, we’re all going to be profoundly changed; hopefully it will be for the better.

-Neal

Author’s note: The 50 Plus Male recently was the recipient of some very exciting news! I have now become a contributing author to one of the ten largest internet portals dedicated to the “boomer-generation,” Boomer-Living.com. A mutual friend and fan of The 50 Plus Male blog graciously introduced me to Doug H. Fitzgerald, Ed.D, the President and Founder of Boomer-Living.com. The outcome of our initial discussion was that Boomer-Living.com would pick-up some of my blog posts and publish them on their site.

  According to Dr. Fitzgerald, “Boomer-Living.com was started to help baby boomers as they confront life’s challenges aging in the 21st century. I feel strongly that aging now is nothing like the aging of our parents.  It’s a whole new mindset. Most of the boomers I know want to remain active the rest of their lives. Many have chosen to continue working or become entrepreneurs, while others elect to travel.  Whatever the case may be, times are different, and Boomer-Living.com provides guidance and direction so that our members can make more informed decisions related to their own personal and family lives.  Our objective at Boomer-Living.com is to become the most trusted and reliable resource available today for baby boomers.”

Dr. Fitzgerald and I have begun exchanging ideas for future posts and look forward to a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship. I have provided links to Boomer-Living.com for you above and under the Blogroll section found in the right-hand sidebar of each page in The 50 Plus Male. My listings in Boomer-Living.com can be found under their “Coffee House Blog” sub-header link.

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  The 50 Plus Male is proud to introduce a new feature to the blog, The 50 Plus Male Store. The store was formed by becoming a third-party affiliate of Amazon.com. This means that any purchases you make in the store will be entirely processed through Amazon.com (this is done automatically; you do not have to undertake any additional steps), so you may rest assured of the functionality and security earmarks built into the store. Initial product categories being introduced are books and magazines pertinent to the 50 plus male.  Additional category offerings will gradually be added. Once again, if you look at the right-hand sidebar on each page of this blog, you will see a small square entitled “The 50 Plus Male Store” immediately above the calendar—this is the link that will gain you access to the store. Even if you do not have any current purchase intent, I heartily invite you to peruse the items so you can get a feel for the look of this new feature. As always, I welcome any feedback and want to sincerely thank you at the outset for your support.

Finally, as promised in an earlier post, we will soon have a good friend of The 50 Plus Male, Josh, from Spirited Cocktails (Dedicated to the Craft of the Perfect Cocktail), serving as a guest contributor for an upcoming blog posting on a social rite holding great significance for 50 plus males, the Cocktail Hour! Josh is an expert on providing step-by-step instructions for creating one-of-a-kind cocktails that will quickly become new favorites in your arsenal.

-Neal