My obsession with the union of Sam Taylor-Johnson and actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson is tinged with awe and guilt. I hate that I even notice their 24-year age gap because no one would even care if the genders were reversed. I hate that we’re all kind of waiting to see when his 20-something crisis will kick in à la Ashton Kutcher. And I especially hate that I even think he is better looking than her. It shouldn’t matter.
He’s also wise beyond his years, an award-winning talent (As opposed to say, a backup dancer. Not that there’s anything wrong with that) and he’s capable of being madly in love with a not so conventional woman. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is my mid-life crisis dream. But he’s also the guy (other than my own husband, course) who is renewing my faith in our shifting male-gender roles.
It’s a topic Elaine Liu addressed on Lainey Gossip when she talked of her own marriage and the rise of “modern male masculinity.” Liu cited an interview Taylor-Johnson did with Mr Porter called, “How does Mr Aaron Taylor-Johnson Do It?” in which he mentioned how he’s more fulfilled by parenthood than his acting career, how his marriage make him feel secure and that’s he in a Japanese cooking phase: “I make fresh seaweed stocks you cook in the rice with toasted sesame oil and sake.”
I know. It’s intense. And now Taylor-Johnson has been signed to be the face of a fragrance, Gentleman Givenchy. In explaining why the company chose the actor, Romain Spitzer, Givenchy Parfums CEO, said, “Aaron is a daring artist and a multi-talented actor, with a caring and charismatic personality.”
Want to know what I find fascinating about Spitzer’s statement above? The word ‘caring.’ Am I the only person who feels we’re running a deficit on ‘caring,’ lately? People (myself included) don’t seem to care enough about enough things. These days the ‘bully’ gets rewarded politically, professionally and monetarily (think of the term ‘bully offer’ when buying a property). The fact that Givenchy specifically calls out someone who is ‘caring’ as opposed to macho, manly, daring, or scary speaks volumes. Which is why Taylor-Johnson is the ideal spokesmodel right now: he can appeal to fragrance lovers in various categories and age groups while being off-the-chart hot and caring, all in one package.
And then there’s this photo he posted of his gift to his wife on the occasion of her 50th birthday.
Yup. That is his chest. I will be texting this picture to my husband, but with, nine letters in my name, I’m not sure he’ll go for it.
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%20and%20he's%20capable%20of%20being%20madly%20in%20love%20with%20a%20not%20so%20conventional%20woman.%20Aaron%20Taylor-Johnson%20is%20my%20mid-life%20crisis%20dream.%20But%20he's%20also%20the%20guy%20(other%20than%20my%20own%20husband,%20course)%20who%20is%20renewing%20my%20faith%20in%20our%20shifting%20male-gender%20roles.%20It's%20a%20topic%20Elaine%20Liu%20addressed%20on%20Lainey%20Gossip%20when%20she%20talked%20of%20her%20own%20marriage%20and%20the%20rise%20of%20%22modern%20male%20masculinity.%22%20Liu%20cited%20an%20interview%20Taylor-Johnson%20did%20with%20Mr%20Porter%20called,%20%22How%20does%20Mr%20Aaron%20Taylor-Johnson%20Do%20It?%22%20in%20which%20he%20mentioned%20how%20he's%20more%20fulfilled%20by%20parenthood%20than%20his%20acting%20career,%20how%20his%20marriage%20make%20him%20feel%20secure%20and%20that's%20he%20in%20a%20Japanese%20cooking%20phase:%20%22I%20make%20fresh%20seaweed%20stocks%20you%20cook%20in%20the%20rice%20with%20toasted%20sesame%20oil%20and%20sake.%22%20I%20know.%20It's%20intense.%20And%20now%20Taylor-Johnson%20has%20been%20signed%20to%20be%20the%20face%20of%20a%20fragrance,%20Gentleman%20Givenchy.%20In%20explaining%20why%20the%20company%20chose%20the%20actor,%20Romain%20Spitzer,%20Givenchy%20Parfums%20CEO,%20said,%20%E2%80%9CAaron%20is%20a%20daring%20artist%20and%20a%20multi-talented%20actor,%20with%20a%20caring%20and%20charismatic%20personality.%22%20Want%20to%20know%20what%20I%20find%20fascinating%20about%20Spitzer's%20statement%20above?%20The%20word%20'caring.'%20Am%20I%20the%20only%20person%20who%20feels%20we're%20running%20a%20deficit%20on%20'caring,'%20lately?%20People%20(myself%20included)%20don't%20seem%20to%20care%20enough%20about%20enough%20things.%20These%20days%20the%20'bully'%20gets%20rewarded%20politically,%20professionally%20and%20monetarily%20(think%20of%20the%20term%20'bully%20offer'%20when%20buying%20a%20property).%20The%20fact%20that%20Givenchy%20specifically%20calls%20out%20someone%20who%20is%20'caring'%20as%20opposed%20to%20macho,%20manly,%20daring,%20or%20scary%20speaks%20volumes.%20Which%20is%20why%20Taylor-Johnson%20is%20the%20ideal%20spokesmodel%20right%20now:%20he%20can%20appeal%20to%20fragrance%20lovers%20in%20various%20categories%20and%20age%20groups%20while%20being%20off-the-chart%20hot%20and%20caring,%20all%20in%20one%20package.%20And%20then%20there's%20this%20photo%20he%20posted%20of%20his%20gift%20to%20his%20wife%20on%20the%20occasion%20of%20her%2050th%20birthday.%20A%20post%20shared%20by%20Aaron%20Taylor-Johnson%20(@aarontaylorjohnson)%20on%20Mar%204,%202017%20at%203:14pm%20PST%20Yup.%20That%20is%20his%20chest.%20I%20will%20be%20texting%20this%20picture%20to%20my%20husband,%20but%20with,%20nine%20letters%20in%20my%20name,%20I'm%20not%20sure%20he'll%20go%20for%20it.){kind=link}