Althouse: "My secret to eternal youth is to take an ice-cold bath once a day."

November 9, 2017

"My secret to eternal youth is to take an ice-cold bath once a day."

From "25 Famous Women on Their Strangest Habits" at New York Magazine.

The eternally young ice-cold bather is Yoko Ono.

53 comments:

The Vault Dweller said...: Yoko Ono is proof that all one needs to do to be considered an artist by many is to be sufficiently weird.; 11/9/17, 7:30 AM
Darrell said...: Hence her singing.; 11/9/17, 7:33 AM
Greg said...: Yoko looked ancient when she was young; 11/9/17, 7:34 AM
Mr. Groovington said...: Argh, horrendous woman.; 11/9/17, 7:42 AM
Shane said...: Pictures from the last few months maybe show "eternal youth" does not mean what she thinks it means.; 11/9/17, 7:44 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "Yoko Ono is proof that all one needs to do to be considered an artist by many is to be sufficiently weird."

She's great. I don't enjoy listening to her sing, but then I don't enjoy listening to almost every singer. Bleh. Singing. Might as well critique singing through challenging singing. It's an idea that doesn't have to be experienced, and I'm sure you don't experience it.

But her book "Grapefruit" is great, and the conceptual art that she did before we ever heard of her is excellent, the art things she did with John were also excellent, and I believe she has conducted herself in a grand and dignified way over the long decades since John's death. I like her Twitter feed now.

The world is full of "weird" people. Yoko Ono is one of a kind, a unique and brilliant human being.; 11/9/17, 7:49 AM
traditionalguy said...: A cold bath in the winter? Cold showers are bad enough in the summer. I suspect she made that up.; 11/9/17, 7:50 AM
MadisonMan said...: Pictures or it didn't happen.; 11/9/17, 7:54 AM
Fernandinande said...: I like the extreme geriatrics who drink whisky and smoke seegars.; 11/9/17, 7:56 AM
Rob said...: Oscar Levant once said that Zsa Zsa Gabor had discovered the secret to eternal middle age. That’s the best Yoko Ono can hope for too.; 11/9/17, 7:56 AM
Jaq said...: I heard an interview of her once on "Fresh Air." It did change the way I looked at her.; 11/9/17, 7:57 AM
MaxedOutMama said...: Yoko Ono should not be discussed in polite company.; 11/9/17, 7:58 AM
MadisonMan said...: The real secret to eternal youth:

(1) Stay out of the Sun
(2) Have good genes.; 11/9/17, 7:59 AM
MadisonMan said...: (or die young); 11/9/17, 7:59 AM
rhhardin said...: A cold bath without vagina steaming won't work.; 11/9/17, 8:00 AM
Jaq said...: She said she sang like that on purpose, like that Velvet Underground album that sounded like a wood shop, ok, a metal shop.; 11/9/17, 8:02 AM
J. Farmer said...: For years now, I have taken a variant of what's called the "James Bond shower." You start with hot water, get all lathered up, and then finish by turning the water to full cold. It's incredibly invigorating and supposedly has numerous health benefits regarding circulation, skin, and immunity (how true those are I'm not sure, replication crisis and all). But if it's something you can tolerate, I'd recommend giving it a try.; 11/9/17, 8:02 AM
The Vault Dweller said...: Well, I have never seen her book grapefruit or her early conceptual artwork, so I can't comment on it. Given my tendency to not like much post impressionist visual artwork, I suspect I wouldn't care for it too much.

Most of what I base her artwork on is her singing, which I do not care for. If some can get some insight or benefit from it, more power to them.

As far are weirdness goes, I'm not saying being weird necessarily makes one a bad person in any way, just that being weird doesn't necessarily make one an artist.; 11/9/17, 8:06 AM
Anne in Rockwall, TX said...: I do the same J. Farmer. Cold water at the end of a shower feels fabulous!

Also makes your hair shiny, and your skin glow.; 11/9/17, 8:21 AM
CJinPA said...: Eternal youth? Yoko Ono was an old crank 50 years ago. Personality-wise.; 11/9/17, 8:23 AM
Etienne said...: My ice-cold is 68 degrees.; 11/9/17, 8:24 AM
Oso Negro said...: Blogger MadisonMan said...
The real secret to eternal youth:

(1) Stay out of the Sun
(2) Have good genes.

(3) Don't smoke.
(4) Don't abuse drugs or alcohol

Although I do think more attractive young women should be encouraged to get Vitamin D for the vaginas the natural way.; 11/9/17, 8:27 AM
Curious George said...: "MadisonMan said...
Pictures or it didn't happen."

Dude, no!; 11/9/17, 8:29 AM
Carol said...: Tempted to try Nicorette...I need something for sure.; 11/9/17, 8:30 AM
Fritz said...: I spent 8 hours out in the cold wind and rain on Tuesday, chasing striped fish. I was never so happy to climb into a hot shower. It took 10 minutes for my fingers to stop tingling.; 11/9/17, 8:30 AM
zipity said...: Yeah. Well. Yoko is likely certifiably insane. So...; 11/9/17, 8:39 AM
CJinPA said...: I spent 8 hours out in the cold wind and rain on Tuesday, chasing striped fish.

I spent 13 in the same elements chasing partisan voters in our township election. Hope you did better than me. I won.; 11/9/17, 8:42 AM
TestTube said...: So there's this HUGE Beatles fan. Lives in New York City. Apartment full of Beatles memorabilia. Knows all about that first chord on "Hard Days Night". Won't shut up about Beatles trivia. Plays in a Beatles Tribute band.

You know the type.

So, every day this guy heads off to work, passes a news stand, Buys a copy of the New York Times, scans the front page, and throws it back on the pile, good as new. Weekends too.

This goes on for years. Decades, even. Finally, the news seller who runs the stand asks the guy "Hey, you pay good money for the New York Times EVERY DAY. Yet you barely look at the thing.

The Beatles fan says "Eh, I'm only interested in the Obituaries"

"Yeah, but the obituaries are way in the back of the paper. You don't even unfold the dang thing"

"The obituary I'M waiting for will be on the front page..."; 11/9/17, 8:51 AM
Rick.T. said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 11/9/17, 8:54 AM
tim maguire said...: In Yoko's case, the bath wasn't ice cold until after she got in it. (Just kidding, I don't know Yoko, she's probably a joy to be around.); 11/9/17, 8:55 AM
Rick.T. said...: There is nothing better than a shave, a hot shower, and a cold drink after spending a couple weeks roughing it in the wilderness. Nothing.; 11/9/17, 8:55 AM
Michael said...: I end all showers with cold water for at least two minutes. Winter water much colder than summer water. Bracing.; 11/9/17, 8:58 AM
Fritz said...: CJinPA said...
I spent 8 hours out in the cold wind and rain on Tuesday, chasing striped fish.

I spent 13 in the same elements chasing partisan voters in our township election. Hope you did better than me. I won.

We caught fish.; 11/9/17, 8:58 AM
tim maguire said...: Reading the prof. emeritus' comment above makes me want to chime in in Yoko's defense. Many years ago the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame did a Beatles tribute. Two noteworthy things:

1) There was a phone on display that connected to a phone in Yoko's apartment. You could pick it up and try to reach her. Sometimes she'd pick up and chat. Sometimes she called and talked to whichever museum-goer picked up.

2) I came away from the exhibit more convinced than ever that Yoko really did break up the Beatles. Among other things, there's practice session video with Yoko sitting in a chair next to John silently staring at everyone. What a mood killer! What makes that notable is that Yoko was a major supporter of the exhibit. She chose to allowed herself to be portrayed that way.

Each of these things made me like and respect her a little more.; 11/9/17, 9:05 AM
William said...: i would think that Diane Keaton is capable of far weirder stuff than posting a stranger's picture of a pizza slice to her pinterest board. She probably doesn't want to discuss them in public. Adele admits to picking her kid's nose and discusses her methodology of disposing of the booger. This is an example of things left unsaid.......Cold bath seems a little extreme, but I've gone from the sauna to the pool on numerous occasions. It was good for hangovers, as I remember. Made you feel fresh and reborn.; 11/9/17, 9:07 AM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: An ice cold shower in Wisconsin in the winter? I'd welcome death.; 11/9/17, 9:08 AM
chickelit said...: The topic is nut-shrivelling in so many ways.; 11/9/17, 9:40 AM
Nonapod said...: There's all sorts of ideas and theories about the benefits of the so called cold shock proteins that are generated when there's a sudden drop in body temperature. I mean, obviously cold reduces inflamation which can be a good thing. There's a bit of a health fad around cryotherapy, such as immersing oneself in extreme cold water for short periods of time. I have no idea of the validity of it all though.; 11/9/17, 10:08 AM
Bad Lieutenant said...: May have something to do with the brown fat deal. I wanna know when the brown fat transplants are coming.; 11/9/17, 10:14 AM
Howard said...: Yoko breaking up the Beatles was a mercy killing... have you heard Let it Be?

Cold Baths Cure Everything...Wim Hoff Cold Therapy; 11/9/17, 10:26 AM
Charlie said...: "Yoko Ono is one of a kind, a unique and brilliant human being."

Also, she destroyed the Beatles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdZ9weP5i68; 11/9/17, 10:54 AM
Charlie said...: It takes a particular genius to ruin a Chuck Berry song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9kgu71d81U; 11/9/17, 10:59 AM
David said...: Was Yoko ever young?; 11/9/17, 11:10 AM
Molly said...: Eaglebeak

An uncle of mine who lived in Chelsea (London, not New York) knew Yoko when she was married to her first husband (not sure who that was). I think my uncle was living with them.

At any rate, he said he found her attractive, which I don't, and told me that one day, as they ran into each other in the kitchen, he said softly, "Oh, little Yoko"--to which she replied, "I am not little. I have the whole universe in my head."

He said he found it quite off-putting. I can see why, and I think she has always suffered from a high degree of self-regard.; 11/9/17, 11:51 AM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: Charlie said...
It takes a particular genius to ruin a Chuck Berry song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9kgu71d81U

The sight of Berry's eyes popping when Yoko starts her strangled turkey imitation says it all.; 11/9/17, 11:55 AM
Laslo Spatula said...: I once took an ice bath with a naked Yoko Ono.

I still have a scar from where her nipple cut me.

I am Laslo.; 11/9/17, 11:56 AM
Earnest Prole said...: Yoko Ono's lovely poem:

Spring passes and one remembers one's innocence.
Summer passes and one remembers one's exuberance.
Autumn passes and one remembers one's reverence.
Winter passes and one remembers one's perseverance.; 11/9/17, 2:24 PM
Clyde said...: Hopefully someone upthread hasn't already posted this!

Barenaked Ladies - Be My Yoko Ono

I saw an article on my phone that she was one of the anti-Trump crazy screamers yesterday. I was not surprised. In. The. Least.; 11/9/17, 2:59 PM
Clyde said...: P.S. That video link should have a "Men In Shorts" warning for Althouse.; 11/9/17, 3:05 PM
walter said...: I bet she lets out one helluva wail when she ice dunks her junk.; 11/9/17, 3:27 PM
The Godfather said...: The best way I know of to preserve your sense of youth is to marry someone your own age.; 11/9/17, 5:02 PM
n.n said...: The best way I know of to preserve your sense of youth is to marry someone your own age.

It mitigates occurrence of age dysphoria.; 11/9/17, 8:58 PM
Shawn Levasseur said...: Say what you will of Yoko, but at least she's been a good steward of John Lennon's legacy. Contrast that with how Elvis' legacy was handled.

Whenever there was anything out authorized by the estates of either dead legend. Lennon's was more about the music, and Elvis' was more about the celebrity worship.; 11/15/17, 9:54 AM