When did we decide to box out women and the elderly from the rest of society? Despite being just as capable (if not moreso) than the rest, there is a tendency to withhold opportunities for women and the aged.
Susan Douglas points out that there are more women over 50 in the United States now than ever before. So what does this mean, and what kind of paradigm shift can we expect?
For decades, media industries have been governed primarily by older white men. This means that the perspective of women—especially older women—have been left out. In addition, the advertising industry is incredibly youth-oriented. Susan believes that this is caused by the misconception that if you start liking a product when you’re young, they have your attention for life.
These two industries have created an interaction in bias where older women are no longer relevant. But what’s interesting is that there is a steady trend of older female celebrities who are fighting back. For example, the Grace and Frankie show on Netflix became a huge hit because it’s giving society a chance to look at older women in a new perspective. The reality is that older women on the ground are living their lives very differently than their peers of a previous generation—and thankfully, Hollywood is beginning to catch up to this demographic revolution.
“Feminism does not end when you're 50 years old, right? Feminism should be a mode of support and sustenance and activism throughout your whole life.” - Susan Douglas
Susan points out the need for older women to reach out to younger women, starting discussions on what it means to be a feminist and what it means to age. We are bombarded by advertisements that encourage older women to “defy aging,” as if it isn’t an inevitable biological process.
We need to address ageism in our society. It’s the one issue everybody has to go through eventually. People in their seventies and eighties aren’t lonely, decrepit, antisocial creatures. They are fully functioning human beings who enjoy being physically and sexually active.
The United States is lagging behind when it comes to age equity and quality of life for women. It’s time we change that narrative by focusing on structural change. This includes the inequitable distribution of wealth and gerrymandering, for example.
Change will take more than a shift in perception. We also need to act on structural barriers for the disenfranchised. And this goes beyond women and the elderly.
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