The Red Hat Society(TM): Fun and Friendship After Fifty [Abridged, Audiobook] [Audio CD]

Sue Ellen Cooper (Author), Author (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2005

The book that heralded a movement, now available in audio form. Life begins at fifty! And the women of the Red Hat Society are proud of it. Inspired by the Jenny Joseph poem that begins:'When I am an old woman I shall wear purple / With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me,': Sue Ellen Cooper bought herself a red hat. Soon it became her signature gift for friends turning 50. In 2000, Cooper and her friends formed The Red Hat Society, whose only rule is no rules-it's simply a play group encouraging women over 50 to have fun, support each other, and find kindred spirits. THE RED HAT SOCIETY is their official audiobook, covering marriage, children, grandparenting, careers, retirement, physical, mental and spiritual aging, friendship, mothers, daughters, sisterhood in hard times, clothes, rituals, the genesis of the Red Hat Society, and of course, information on how listeners can start their own chapters.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Cooper, the Red Hat Society's founding "Queen Mother," believes middle-aged women have gotten used to going unnoticed, and this book describes how she's trying to change that. The Red Hat movement began in the late 1990s, as Cooper, a California graphic artist, began hosting 50th (and other) birthday celebrations for a few friends. Inspired by the line in Jenny Joseph's poem "Warning" that vows, "When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple,/ With a red hat that doesn't go," Cooper presented each birthday girl with a red hat that jibed with her individual taste. The women loved the hats so much, they started wearing them to teas, slumber parties and even sporting events. Their gatherings attracted attention, and today, the society claims to have over 10,000 chapters across the country. And members have moved well beyond hats. These days, Cooper encourages Red Hatters to accessorize with "a fluffy red-feathered fan, or a pair of purple fishnet hose," since "it is a lot easier to act silly when you are dressed silly!" Why the need for such folly? Cooper recommends it as an antidote to the serious loss of self-esteem many aging women face as they deal with their children leaving home, caring for elderly parents, widowhood, health crises and altered body image. It's a zany approach, to be sure, and Cooper's ideas may sound ridiculous to women at the height of their careers or those in retirement who've found alternate ways to relieve stress and express creativity. Nevertheless, this feel-good handbook, complete with anecdotes from members, could find a welcoming audience.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

An infant "disorganization" whose members have been catapulted into fame, thanks to some shrewd publicity, the Red Hat Society is aimed at middle-aged women, recognizing a stage in life that traditionally was downplayed or feared. Southern Californian and Queen Mom founder Cooper relates, with much humor and some sobriety, the society's beginnings and rapid growth. A Jenny Joseph poem ("when I am an old woman I shall wear purple with a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me") serves as the motto, signature, and impetus for members sporting red hats and purple apparel. A lot of the narrative is anecdotal; the names of local societies, for instance, range from Hot Cakes and Behattitudes to Silver Foxes and W.O.E. (Women Out of Estrogen). Just as much is inspirational; stories about the first convention (Chicago, April 2002) and shared experiences, from marriage to health, pepper the book. It is a philosophy definitely intended to celebrate milestones and express individuality, a philosophy worthy of large-scale promotion. Barbara Jacobs
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Hachette Audio; Abridged edition (April 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159483024X
• ISBN-13: 978-1594830242
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.5 x 5.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,575,587 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Think Outside The "Age Box" And Live In The Now!, April 21, 2004

By 

"nje99" (Maryland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Red Hat Society: Fun and Friendship After Fifty (Paperback)

I just returned from the 3rd Annual Red Hat Convention in Dallas (April 14-18, 2004). It was my first official sojourn into the realms of the Red Hat World, a phenomenon all women (not just those over 50) should check out. The book was released, I believe, at the convention, and Sue Ellen Cooper is currently on a multi-city book tour.

The book is a collection of anecdotal tales of women "of an age" living their lives with verve, confidence, optimism and laughter, interspersed with Will Rogers-like commentaries from the author and charming illustrations. The Red Hat story, as told in the book, is a one of a kind adventure story. It is a simple book, with fairly large type for aging eyes and an easy-to-navigate format. It reads like Reader?s Digest ? but it is incredibly complex in the topics it explores. I cannot imagine anyone of either gender or of any age reading the book and not recognizing the beauty of its simple truths. It is a manual for finding joy in the moment, for finding fulfillment in living, for being "present." It is truly an empowering book.

I purchased the book at the convention, but I logged onto Amazon.com today to buy a few more copies to send to my friends and family. When I realized that I would have the opportunity to write the first review of the book here, I couldn?t resist putting in my two cents, knowing full well that thousands of other women will end up waxing far more poetically than I on the simple beauty of this book and what it represents.

Although I am an avid reader, I have never bothered to take the time to review a book on this site. This time I can?t help myself. After last week, I am a Red Hat believer, a total convert, and a born-again celebrant. This book (and the concept of the Red Hat Society itself) is infectious - one cannot read the book without thinking of countless ways to improve the quality of the reader's own life on a daily basis.

I have been a happy woman my entire life - but I have never experienced the kind of collective joy that I experienced last week. It cannot adequately be put into words - it is gut level emotional. The book is a primer on celebrating Life, but the lessons it imparts can only be practiced in the company of others. Read it ? and then get off your backside and go live it. Get involved. Have fun with your life on this planet!

This is a book that could change your life!

Nancy

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You'll Have a Great Time Reading This One!, May 15, 2004

By 

Bookreporter (New York, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Red Hat Society: Fun and Friendship After Fifty (Paperback)

THE RED HAT SOCIETY is a book about fun, loads of it. Sue Ellen Cooper, in her thirties, was inspired by a lyrical poem she read in a used bookstore. Years later, she recalled the piece that celebrated the aging process. Cooper searched for the perfect gift for a dear friend about to celebrate her fifty-fifth birthday. A framed copy of the poem, along with an outrageous red bowler, matched her friend Linda's personality. The gift was an instant hit. Soon, Cooper's entire list of friends benefited from like remembrances. A tearoom excursion in 1998, captured on film by Cooper's husband, was the first of many romps in hilarity for the over-fifty girls. The embryonic Red Hat Society bloomed into a sisterhood for like-minded lovers of foolishness.

THE RED HAT SOCIETY is the story of its mushrooming into viable groups spread over the entire globe. A worldwide entity, The Red Hat Society now meets annually, for a convention of mutual fun-lovers. The rules are simple; there are none. The sole purpose is to revolutionize the view of feminine aging in our society. Cooper states that the society fulfills certain needs: "the need to play, the desire to dress up, the need for connection with others at the same stage of life, an appreciation for humor, visibility as an active segment of society and the need for fellowship with other women."

The frisky official mascot of the society is Ruby Red-Hat, a full-figured little lady, cleverly disguised as an adult. A computer-generated icon, she is the embodiment of attributes and attitudes that Red Hatters admire. Her Ten Rules for Living, plus One, is the sole set of rules that Red Hatters accept. The book examines each with several paragraphs of explanation. Additional boxed quotations by authors and famous personages underscore Cooper's strong feelings about life as a celebration.

THE RED HAT SOCIETY expands the roles of women to learn from their past roles in living and to bring experiences from those pasts into the present. Marriage, motherhood, caregiver, angel, grandmotherhood, careers, volunteerism and sisterhood extend into later years as the basis for renewed growth, if the sisterhood's spirit so moves. Red Hatters have the option to take up worthy causes or not. The book's middle chapters examine the process of aging --- physical, mental and spiritual. Red Hatters assume the task of enriching one another's lives as a worthy goal.

Cooper expresses the need for the society to remain true to its origins. Men may observe the fun and frivolity their wives have and desire to become part of it. But men are not admitted. Neither are women under fifty. However, if these ladies form junior adjuncts to the club, they are called Pink Hatters. They're relegated to wearing paler shades of pink and lavender, to attain full red and purple regalia upon reaching fifty.

During my reading of THE RED HAT SOCIETY, I dined at a local restaurant with a few friends. A back door swung open from a private dining salon. The parade of ladies wearing outlandish red hats, colorful boas and deep purple clothing was an incredible sight in the middle of an otherwise mundane afternoon. They exuded the open, frivolous gaiety Cooper writes about in THE RED HAT SOCIETY. I want to become one of these carefree creatures. You too will love the story of The Red Hat Society's inception and explosion.

--- Reviewed by Judy Gigstad

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun for those who seek an occasional celebration, June 27, 2004

By 

MotherLodeBeth "MotherLodeBeth" (Sierras of California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Red Hat Society: Fun and Friendship After Fifty (Paperback)

This is a fun book for those women who are stuck in a rut and need an excuse to celebrate or get out of the rut. For me it was more a book about making a hobby out of being fun, wild and on occasion celebrating being age 50+.

Be an Outrageous Older Woman by Ruth H. Jacobs is the book I recommend for those women who are serious about living a 'march to your own drummer' lifestyle rather than making being age 50+ an occasional celebration.

Personally I have few female friends and the ones I have I hand picked specifically because they live authentic, eccentric lives where everyday is a celebration, where the gathering of the women isn't about playing tea time, gossiping or shopping, but serious, wonderful thought provoking verbal intercourse.