Are Women Over 50 Invisible? No Way!
Baby boomer women have been lifelong trailblazers. Armed with flower power and spunk, we’ve been revolutionizing society’s rules for decades. From the civil rights movement to the peace movement, from free love to women’s lib, we’ve left an indelible mark on the culture. And now that the majority of us are past fifty, there’s no sign we’ll be backing away from our generation’s penchant for massive transformation. As the better half of 76 million strong, we gals have the numbers to make our voices heard and our faces seen. Invisible? I think not!
Nevertheless, there is one large and formidable bastion that has yet to acquiesce to our demand for visibility. Hollywood is still caught up in the male fantasy of the nubile twenty-something-year-old paired with the aging and oh-so-commanding hero. Yes, there have been some cracks in the movie moguls’ glass ceiling. There are shows like “Cougar Town” (starring an actress in her mid forties) and a smattering of older actresses do appear on the small screen. But, if it weren’t for Meryl Streep, Diane Keaton, and Helen Mirren, we’d be hard pressed to find many wrinkles gracing the faces of female leads on the silver screen.
As distressing as this might be, just like Dylan sang way back when, “the times they are a-changin’.” And we owe much of this change to one feisty group of actresses who decided to take matters into their own hands. Led by Debbie Zipp, the ladies from In the Trenches Productions are in the business of reflection. They are reflecting the faces of gals over fifty back at us—not the botoxed, pulled back, waxen-like super Hollywood variety—real faces with laugh lines, crinkles, and age spots.
Their films run the gamut from touching to informative to hilarious. I have several favorites but my all time #1 is “Believe It Baby!” Be sure and stop by their amazing site and take some time to view the incredible films they offer. They’re all free (a true public service and a cause each of us will want to support). I promise you’ll come away from the experience entertained, renewed, and empowered—the furthest thing from feeling invisible.
Debbie and her colleagues are true heroines in my book. They’ve started a grass roots movement to take on tinsel town and, step-by-step, film-by-film, they’re succeeding in putting our faces front and center. So movie moguls—beware! We older gals are on the move and there’s a lot of heat to be generated by a group of menopausal broads on a mission. In fact, I think I can smell your tinsel melting already. Go get ‘em, Debbie!
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March 18th, 2011 at 8:34 am
It’s interesting to read about what women actually think and what they want. Such complicated creatures, but I guess as humans we all are looking for the same things…Thanks for a helpful site!
October 19th, 2010 at 6:01 am
Favorite quote from movie Believe It Baby… “I’m a 12 baby, a 12!” I’m throwing out all my “small” clothes this minute! The movie was as fabulous as you said. I have the website open and will watch the rest today. Thanks for the heads up! I love the strength and joy all these women show.
I have a different personal take on being invisible. I actually relish the thought of invisibility in my personal life. I noticed that once I became invisible (that is to younger people) I no longer cared what they thought of me. I feel freer now to do whatever I want, when and wherever I please. Invisibility, or becoming “some old lady” to those younger people on the streets, out in public, has given me a respite from my sadly vigilant nature. I love going out of the house now un-guarded, emotionally speaking, and un-coiffed, sometimes literally.
Invisibility for the time being, for me personally, has given me freedom.
Seriously though, movies and television, and the images we are fed, form our opinions throughout our life. To see generations of us raised to believe that firm and flawless is the only life worth living is a disgrace. With these fabulous women at In The Trenches creating films that are real, I have hope that someday, maybe generations from now, the older person will get the respect due.
Thanks for this wonderful post!
July 3rd, 2010 at 5:39 am
Sadly, the Hollywood Movie Makers are still controlled by men, who shape what THEY think we, as movie goers, want to see. Women really need to have more control in this arena and until they do, I believe things are gonna be pretty much the same. I do applaud the work Debbie and her crew are doing because they are continuing to work to try to make a difference.
June 18th, 2010 at 4:44 pm
Great article Eileen. My dear mother used to say that when she was elderly she became ‘invisible’. It moved me deeply, and I wrote this song, Not Gonna Be Invisible, dedicated to her. I am happy to send you the PDF file if you wish to put it on your blog with this article …(Just email ma and I will send). To view it first, click the title link in my latest blog post about the Baby Boomer Girl rock band launch …
http://babyboomergirl.wordpress.com
Warm regards from New Zealand – we are visible all over the planet, so Hollywood – get it together!
Radha
June 12th, 2010 at 12:45 pm
Sadly, the Hollywood Movie Makers are still controlled by men, who shape what THEY think we, as movie goers, want to see. Women really need to have more control in this arena and until they do, I believe things are gonna be pretty much the same. I do applaud the work Debbie and her crew are doing because they are continuing to work to try to make a difference.