Rick Carlson Has the Last Laugh!

Sam Elliott in Lifeguard

Rick Carlson, the main character in Lifeguard played by Sam Elliott, has the last laugh. In that movie, people gave Rick a heap of scorn for being a 33 old man and working as a lifeguard. I guess they felt he had a Peter Pan syndrome, was underachieving and not applying himself. His dad especially derided him for making only $10,000 a year (that is around $40k in today's money).

Rick took it all in good stride. And why not? The guy was fit and trim. He was screwing everything in site. He did not have to worry about herpes or AIDS (yet). He was having a hell of a time.

However, I came across this article recently. There are lifeguards in California making well over $100 grand a year, some making close to $200 grand. Somewhere out there, Rick must be smiling! Think of all those corporate types toiling in obscurity fretting about their jobs. They can no longer wear size 34 jeans, hate their jobs, bosses and lives. It took them who knows how many years to get to where they are, only for it to be taken with a stroke of a pen in lay-off. The Rick's out there are working in the sun in an active  and well-paying job.

Say what you want about the 70's, though, it did have some pluses to it. You could have a chest that looked like it had an Ottoman rug on it  and a you could have a pornstache; yet you could still be considered a sex symbol! Did these guys worry about "manscaping"? Hell no.