# Who seemed really old when you were a kid? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 13, 2015, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-seemed-really-old-when-you-were-a-kid/740304 "2015-12-13T04:04:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![oara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b77776/32.png) [@oara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oara)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-seemed-really-old-when-you-were-a-kid/740304/1 "2015-12-13T04:04:17Z")
On Mork & Mindy, when Mearth showed up and was supposed to age backward, I took this to mean that Jonathan Winters was so old as to be near death in real life, and so he was being very generous by being on a television show for us. On Different Strokes, Mr Drummond had a fiftieth birthday party where he got a bit of ribbing for being old. They made fifty sound old enough to be sort of…sad to contemplate. On Gilligan’s Island, The Skipper seemed old. I think his light hair seemed gray all over to me. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-seemed-really-old-when-you-were-a-kid/740304/2 "2015-12-13T04:30:24Z")
Abe Vigoda has seemed old forever. So it seems weird to realize he was 54 (which is my age) when he began doing _Barney Miller_. He was 51 when he played Tessio in _The Godfather_. Imagine a 2015 remake of _The Godfather_ with Rob Lowe (who’s also 51) cast in the role of Tessio. Or a new version of _Barney Miller_ with 54-year-old Ralph Macchio playing Fish. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-seemed-really-old-when-you-were-a-kid/740304/3 "2015-12-13T05:08:13Z")
The farm couple in the “American Gothic” painting. ---
**Author:** ![JWT\_Kottekoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@JWT\_Kottekoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JWT_Kottekoe)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-seemed-really-old-when-you-were-a-kid/740304/4 "2015-12-13T05:31:31Z")
My sister. She was 10, double digits. ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-seemed-really-old-when-you-were-a-kid/740304/5 "2015-12-13T05:47:26Z")
At some point in the last years, my mind shifted when I watch 1980’s - early 90’s movies from “These are all old grownups” to “they all look so young!” I mean, I watch Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon and I’m like “how are they allowing this teenager to run around with a gun?” ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-seemed-really-old-when-you-were-a-kid/740304/6 "2015-12-13T05:55:46Z")
Roger Whittaker. One of my Uncles loved him, and played his songs in the car. Because the songs were kind of old fashioned and at least one was bout sailing ships I always figured he must be ancient. I was surprised to find out he was still alive in the 90s. It turns out he was only in his 40s when I was a kid. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-seemed-really-old-when-you-were-a-kid/740304/7 "2015-12-13T06:35:56Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > The farm couple in the “American Gothic” painting. Except that they’re neither farmers nor a couple. [http://www.campsilos.org/mod2/students/wood\_letter.htm](http://www.campsilos.org/mod2/students/wood_letter.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-seemed-really-old-when-you-were-a-kid/740304/8 "2015-12-13T08:16:09Z")
> [@Sr\_Siete](#): > > At some point in the last years, my mind shifted when I watch 1980’s - early 90’s movies from “These are all old grownups” to “they all look so young!” > > I mean, I watch Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon and I’m like “how are they allowing this teenager to run around with a gun?” It’s a weird feeling when you overtake someone that was once older than you. I remember feeling quite comfortable with my mortality when Homer Simpson was older than me. But then one day I was watching an episode where Homer mentions his age. I was now officially older than him! and all the sudden, my world startied closing in on me. It became very apparent, that I am indeed NOT bullet proof. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-seemed-really-old-when-you-were-a-kid/740304/9 "2015-12-13T09:16:32Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > I remember feeling quite comfortable with my mortality when Homer Simpson was older than me. But then one day I was watching an episode where Homer mentions his age. I was now officially older than him! Of course Homer Simpson is somewhere between 28 and 31. Marge became pregnant with Bart while he was in high school, making him at most 21 when Bart was born and most likely 19. Bart is 10, therefore Homer is 29. Of course Homer’s age has been stated to be in his 30s to late 40s depending on the episode. Consistency isn’t a major element to the Simpsons. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-seemed-really-old-when-you-were-a-kid/740304/10 "2015-12-13T14:27:32Z")
When I was rewatching the early seasons of _All in the Family_ a little while ago, it astonished me when I realized that Archie and Edith were only in their 40s… younger than I am now. ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-seemed-really-old-when-you-were-a-kid/740304/11 "2015-12-13T14:28:58Z")
> [@Miss\_Mapp](#): > > When I was rewatching the early seasons of _All in the Family_ a little while ago, it astonished me when I realized that Archie and Edith were only in their 40s… younger than I am now. Oh, great. I just turned 46, and I hope I look way younger than Archie and Edith. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-seemed-really-old-when-you-were-a-kid/740304/12 "2015-12-13T15:11:21Z")
When I was about 5 or 6, I asked my grandmother how old she was, and she said 22. I decided 22 was pretty ancient. (She was actually 45 or 46 at the time…) I’m awful at guessing ages - gray hair automatically meant old. But that works - I’m nearly 62, and I have no gray yet… yet… ---
**Author:** ![Scougs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scougs/32/3158_2.png) [@Scougs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scougs)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-seemed-really-old-when-you-were-a-kid/740304/13 "2015-12-13T15:29:44Z")
I was watching Highlander (again) recently and found myself trying to figure out how old Rachel is. I mean, when I first saw the film she seemed ancient. Right? The scene where he finds Rachel (which doesn’t stand up to too much scrutiny, I know) let’s say she’s six, and it’s 1942. Highlander is set in 1985, which makes Rachel… 49. Yup, younger than I am. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-seemed-really-old-when-you-were-a-kid/740304/14 "2015-12-13T15:30:46Z")
When I watched Red Skelton on TV in the late '60s, I thought he was nearing 80; he was in his mid-50s. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-seemed-really-old-when-you-were-a-kid/740304/15 "2015-12-13T15:32:43Z")
George Burns. I was born in 1980, so when I was old enough to start noticing him, he was almost 100. ETA. Abe Vigoda. Specifically as Grandpa in Look Who’s Talking. But he just looks old, he was only 68 in that movie. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-seemed-really-old-when-you-were-a-kid/740304/16 "2015-12-13T15:51:11Z")
Grandma Moses ---
**Author:** ![Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellis_Aponte_Jr)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-seemed-really-old-when-you-were-a-kid/740304/17 "2015-12-13T15:51:16Z")
Walter Cronkite seemed way up there in age in the 1970s but was only 53-63. Ed Asner was only 40-47 when playing Lou Grant on _The Mary Tyler Moore Show_, only seven years older than Mary when I would have assumed about 20. The craziest of all was Redd Foxx who seemed at least 75 but was actually only 48-54 when on _Sanford and Son_ ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-seemed-really-old-when-you-were-a-kid/740304/18 "2015-12-13T16:09:05Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > George Burns. I was born in 1980, so when I was old enough to start noticing him, he was almost 100. Yea, when I was a kid growing up in the 1970s, the “old guy” on TV was always George Burns. I vaguely remember a TV special where they celebrated his 100th birthday. Bu he was not 100 years old - he was 90 or something. George explained, “I won’t be around when I am 100, so I am celebrating my 100th birthday right now.” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-seemed-really-old-when-you-were-a-kid/740304/19 "2015-12-13T16:16:32Z")
LBJ. I was in 2nd grade when JFK was assassinated, and I remember seeing LBJ on TV and thinking: that guy is really old!! Probably I was used to identifying JFK = president = young guy. I would not have known any other president. ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-seemed-really-old-when-you-were-a-kid/740304/20 "2015-12-13T17:46:17Z")
I first read Anne Frank’s diary when I was 7 or 8. I wondered why it was called “The Diary of a Young Girl” - she was a _teenager_! That’s basically like an old woman! I returned to it every few years, understanding the book on a new level each time. I still remember the feeling of realizing I had become older than she was when she died. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-seemed-really-old-when-you-were-a-kid/740304.md?page=2)