Comments on: Why I Love Men of a Certain Age

By: Robert Brookey

Robert Brookey — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 03:30:42 +0000

I was aware of this program, but hadn’t viewed it until after I read your post. I’m glad I did, because I’ve really enjoyed the episodes I’ve watched. As a man of a certain age (51 and a half), I find it an interesting take on masculinity in middle age. What I find particularly interesting is the product placement for Chevy and GM, especially with the Camaro and the Corvette, cars that are almost cliché in signifying a mid-life crisis. Perhaps GM has decided to parlay the cliché into a narrow-casted appeal. Indeed, if you go to the show’s webpage, the Chevy brand is all over the place, so clearly GM believes the show delivers an audience that they find attractive. In any event, thanks for cluing me into a great show!

By: Myles McNutt

Myles McNutt — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 19:12:07 +0000

A great post! As perhaps the only viewer the series has within the ultra-desirable 18-24 demographic, I find the show truly compelling. Its pace may be slow, but it never feels as if the pace is at odds with the stories being told, as the characters are at a stage in their lives when things are moving simultaneously too quickly and too slowly. While Joe deals with the speed at which his marriage fell apart and his life was forced to change, he responds by trying to slow things down by living in a hotel for months. While Owen wants to speed things up in regards to the order of succession at the dealership, he eventually understands the need to slow things down so as to avoid erasing his father’s legacy. Pace is one of the governing forces of our lives, and yet it’s something that the show argues enters a state of flux at a “certain age.” That flux is more dynamic than the pace might suggest, and the show is much better for it.

I am also interested in your ongoing research on soap stars, though. It reminds me of the comic For Better or for Worse, and its choice to age its characters in an almost soap opera-esque fashion. It seems to be that it operates in a similar fashion in regards to aging: those who started out as young parents relating to the tasks of raising children would eventually relate to aging parents welcoming grandchildren and the trials of aging into their lives, while kids who read the strip daily as a pre-teen would eventually relate to the struggles of college and eventually the task of raising children. The strip came full circle, and its multi-generational approach allowed it the versatility to keep appealing to those varying audiences as they aged with the strip – however, it also meant that more attention might be placed onto the children than onto the older characters, and that balance certainly does raise demographic questions (which would be different for comics versus soap operas, certainly).

By: Josh David Jackson

Josh David Jackson — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 20:25:04 +0000

Terrific post. I’ve recently come to realize just how much I’ve enjoyed watching Men of a Certain Age after missing last week’s episode and waiting impatiently for it to pop up on demand. The writing really sparkles with an understated humor and the acting performances are truly superb, especially–and I can’t believing I’m typing this–Romano, who spikes his character with a certain gentle neurosis.

I’m curious to know more about who TNT is precisely trying to hail with the program (outside of those afflicted with high cholesterol, as the constant barrage of Lipitor ads reveal). My extended family and their friends, who I thought (as 54+ heavy scripted cable TV viewers) might be following Men of a Certain Age were familiar with the program, but chose to ignore it in favor of USA’s familiar fare.