Ageism: Do You Feel Discriminated Against Because You Have Wrinkles?

Sure, our culture is obsessed with youth, beauty and celebrity. But did you know that a new argument is being made that looking old can and will adversely affect your career?

It seems ageism has joined race, gender, and sexuality, as the the new reason to discriminate in the work place. An article in The New York Times titled "Nice Resume. Have You Considered Botox?" addresses this trend, and a new book by MORE magazine columnist Charla Krupp called "How Not To Look Old".

With chapter titles like "Nothing Ages You Like...Forehead Lines", and "Nothing Ages You Like...Yellow Teeth", the book argues that to be successful in business, skirt suits with shoulder pads won't cut it if you've done nothing to cover your gray and diminish you sun spots and wrinkles.

Says Ms. Krupp, "My book is hitting a nerve because I am giving not looking old a spin as if your life depended on it".

I get it - everyone wants youth, and if you're attractive to look at, it gets in you in places you might not have gotten into if you were in your sweats with no makeup (you get what I'm trying to say). But to suggest that you can't gain success if you don't worry about trendy clothes, supernaturally youhtful looking skin, and hair highlights, to me seems a little over the top.

What about meritocracy? If I am hard-working and creative, why shouldn't I succeed in my career?

Does anyone else have any thoughts? I'm just not sure Charla's argument is rock solid.