Overview

• On May 28, Shapiro used his podcast to call out Taylor Swift, Jennifer Lopez, Katy Perry and Theo Von for “masquerading as 17-year-olds.”
• He insisted that middle-aged celebrities should “act like adults” instead of adopting youthful personas to seek attention.
• Shapiro acknowledged his own lifelong “grumpy old man” persona while questioning society’s embrace of older adults as perpetual youth.
• Fans and commentators criticized his rant as ageist and out of touch with modern cultural norms.
• The debate has reignited scrutiny over the pressure on middle-aged public figures to maintain relevance and youthful appeal.