Weblogic

Better endowed women pay more for their supportive undergarments – something that their less busty sisters think might be what’s considered a “quality problem.” Nevertheless, British retailer Asda, which is owned by Wal-Mart, thinks charging larger busted women more is not fair. From now on each style bra in their George line will be priced the same regardless of size. (We’re not even going to get into why a bra line would be named “George.” For George Eliot, perhaps?)

It may not be anatomical equality – but pocketbook equality is a great first step.

At lunch the other day a friend of mine – who frequently reports on Hollywood for CNN, The Today Show and Good Morning America – shared the not-for-attribution quote in the title, uttered by a high-profile single woman. (Because it was said in a social setting, I won’t disclose who said it – so don’t ask.) And truer words were never spoken.

She was discussing why she was dating a much younger man and how even though she was in the public eye, she really didn’t care what people thought about it. And it got me to thinking about some of my single friends. Sure enough, many of them preferred dating younger men. I naturally assumed it was for, um, obvious reasons. But in fact, the reasons are deeper than physical. Older men (by that I mean 65 and older) seem to think that they are doing baby boomer women a big favor by wanting to date them, and with true male ego are surprised when successful, single 50-somethings don’t share the interest. According to one longtime friend, the 72-year old doctor she had gone out with a few times – who fancies himself quite the matrimonial prize –was shocked, shocked when she turned down his offer of a long-term relationship.

It was called the Generation Gap back in the day. Our parents, who had been buffeted by the forces of a financial catastrophe and war (neither of their making) returned stateside in 1946 with what seemed like one single purpose: keep everything calm and complacent with unlimited growth opportunities -- for white men. And that they did with a vengeance. Women may have played an important role in the workplace during the war, but now their place was at home. (I guess we should be thankful – that’s the reason there are so many of us). And it seems that most of what our fathers – and some mothers – learned overseas was best forgotten. America turned inward and reverted to what I call the new Victorian age: when everyone better know their place – or else.

Okay, I’m about to gore one of our country’s sacred cows: The Greatest Generation – or so named by one of our country’s most esteemed journalists, Tom Brokaw.

The Baby Boomer generation’s self-image issues began, as all generational conflicts do, with our parents. Through no fault of their own (in fact, it was their parent’s lack of financial responsibility) the generation born in the 20s and early 30s suffered the depravations of the Great Depression and then went on to fight the last “good war,” World War II.

And boy, didn’t they let us know it. If we got something, we were “lucky” because whatever it was – seeing a movie, buying a car -- wasn’t possible during The Depression/War; or we were denied because they had to do without, and so should we – and didn’t we know how lucky we were. "Going without builds character."