9. The Deal with Ageism
Ageism, at its core, is about the loss of privilege. Where perhaps you were once visible, prioritized, and valued, you are now becoming invisible, ignored or even outright dismissed, solely because of your age. For women, this typically starts in their mid- to late-40s, but really kicks into high gear starting at 50. Not coincidentally, so does menopause. Of course, for obese women, disabled women, queer women, and women of color, being visible and prioritized may never have been part of their lived experience. Nonetheless, ageism is real, and as a society we don’t like to talk about it any more than we like to talk about menopause.
While the television industry has made some small steps towards inclusion over the past few years, the numbers are still pretty dismal. The annual Boxed In study by San Diego State University found that in the 2021-2022 season, only 26% of all female television characters were over 40 (and only 3% were over 60), versus 41% of male characters. Clearly, this is not representative of the population at large. Even if other industries are less obvious in their attitudes about age, the majority of women over 50 still report experiencing ageism in the workplace. So what can we do about ageism? How can women push back against the messaging that we are no longer “in our prime” after we turn 50, and therefore should fade quietly into the background? Is there anything women over 50 can be doing differently to reduce ageism or its impact?
In this episode of When Therapists Watch TV, we will be discussing ageism in modern society, using the HBO series Hacks as the platform. Hacks stars Jean Smart as the aging comedian Deborah Vance, who is facing forced retirement despite doing everything she can to stay visible and viable in her career. A 20-something comedic writer, Ava, is sent to Las Vegas to help Deborah refresh her act, but what happens next points to some of the ways women, young and old, might be able to help each other fight back against a patriarchal society that continues to base a woman’s value primarily on her sex appeal and youthfulness.
When Therapists Watch TV is a podcast from Ellie Mental Health where we react to and discuss today's buzz-worthy TV shows and what they can teach us about ourselves, our relationships, and the world around us. This podcast is hosted Dr. Terri Bly, PsyD, an avid watcher of television and licensed clinical psychologist. Each season, we will feature shows we think does an excellent job portraying some aspect of being human. With the help of other mental health professionals and subject matter experts, we will explore how television tackles important topics such as mental health, relationships, addiction, grief and loss, parenting - all that good human stuff. Ellie Mental Health is an outpatient mental health clinic that began in St. Paul, Minnesota and has continued to expand to over 20 clinics in Minnesota and a growing number of franchises across the country (we'll be opening over 500 locations in communities nationwide in the near future!!). Find out more at elliementalhealth.com #therapy #therapistreacts #hacks
