KNOW YOUR OLDSTER: HITTING THE FUNNY BONE
There are two main categories of Over the Hill party victims: those who are still kidding themselves that 40 isn’t all that old, and those succumbing to the creeping realization that there really is a hill and that they are over it. Your best approach is the same for both groups: relentless mocking and fun at their expense. Sure, make it all good-natured but don’t let up until you have achieved a look of terror and desperation on your victim’s face. That’s when you know that everyone is having maximum fun.
Inside his quickly degenerating mind, a 40 year old believes he isn’t much different than he was at age 20. That’s because he is blurring the edges of some very important distinctions. To truly drive home the concept that 40 is Over the Hill, you need specifics, not generalities. Use these themes in your party planning to drive home the truth.
Physical effects of aging
▪ Eyesight and hearing have already begun to deteriorate
▪ Mental and cognitive capacities are diminished
▪ Hair loss has begun
▪ Weight gain is noticeable and overall fitness has decreased
▪ Sitting in front of a television has replaced most physical activities
Sex
▪ Dysfunctions have appeared or become more pronounced
▪ Frequency of sexual activity has decreased
▪ Becoming less interested in sex
▪ Attractiveness to the opposite sex is eroding
Hipness
▪ Musical tastes are stuck in past eras
▪ Movie and TV choices reveal declining interest in youth-oriented themes
▪ Outdated slang and word choices
▪ More conservative politically
▪ Unfamiliar with modern brands
▪ Has traded “cool” for “practical” in choice of automobile
Technology
▪ Uses obsolete mobile phone
▪ Employs ancient abbreviations and conventions while texting
▪ Unfamiliar with nuances of social media
▪ Continues to use outmoded tech terms
Relationships
▪ Knows few younger people who are not relatives
▪ Has begun lecturing young people about what they should do
▪ Presents himself as a “cool adult”
▪ Still rebelling in silly ways from those who are only slightly older
This list should give you more than enough ammunition for your Over the Hill party. If one attribute doesn’t make sense for your specific guest of honor – say, for example, that she is in extraordinarily good physical shape – ignore that and move on to other territory.