“Younger” and Ageism in Media
Image Description: The thumbnail image shows Sutton Foster, a brown-haired white woman wearing a blue-green shirt. She has one eyebrow raised.
Younger is an American is a comedy-drama television series created and produced by Darren Star. It is based on the 2005 novel of the same title by Pamela Redmond Satran. It stars Sutton Foster as Liza Miller, a 40-year-old woman who pretends to be 26 in order to reenter the workforce after her marriage ends and suddenly finds her life upside down, without any job prospects. The series follows Liza as she navigates her career surrounded by other millennials while pretending to be one, new relationships, boy trouble, all while keeping her true age a secret. The show has been well-received by audiences and has been praised for its witty writing and strong performances, especially by its lead actress Sutton Foster. Liza, a now single mother, tries to get back into the working world, but she faces challenges at her age, since apart from the fact that she hasn’t been a working professional with experience since many years, she also isn’t a perky 20 something. The series is a great watch! You find yourself rooting for Liza, feeling her emotions as she starts dating a much younger guy and initially hides her age from him, tries to keep up with the appropriate age lingo. It is impossible to not sympathize with her. All of the characters have a strong screen presence and play their own role well as either antagonists or supporters of Liza. It has all the other makings of a great rom com watch- fashionable outfits, hilarious characters at entry level jobs in a glamorous industry attending Williamsburg parties, and a catchy soundtrack too!
I am surprised that critics did not attack it for showing blatant ageism. While the show is definitely peppered with feminist takes, often with most conversations passing the Bechdel test, it eventually gives us romance in the form of a young tattooed guy for whom Liza goes through several changes. Sutton gets away with dressing in “youngish” mix and match clothing, learning millennial lingo. A few of the episodes give a very real look into the way networking works in the publishing world. We see female writers in the show being portrayed on real life feminist authors. Liza’s boss, Diana Trout, who starts out unlikeable but turns into a lovable and much-admired character, is one of the only older women in the office at a senior position. She is shown as a confident worldly executive who deals with issues in a no-nonsense manner, but is still lusting after Charles, one of the few males in the office. I would rather have not had Diana Trout turn into a typical teenage girl every time her colleague Charles enters the room, while she is otherwise so calm and collected in every other situation.
The show breaks the narrative of women being in competition with other women while working in a cut throat industry and shows some heartwarming friendships. While the show addresses several problematic issues in society today and even weaves in activism, somehow ageism isn’t really talked about enough. The fact that a 40 something educated woman does not think she can start out as an intern or that her age will work against her is blatant ageism. It dissuades someone from following their dreams at any age. While we are often regaled with stories of how famous people found their calling late in life, or discovered their true passion once they were older, (Vera Wang became a designer at 40) why is it that age is still considered to be a taboo?
Ageism in the workplace can come in many different forms. In 2019 alone, 15,573 age discrimination claims were filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In 2018, an AARP survey found that nearly one in four workers aged 45 and older have been subjected to negative comments about their age from supervisors or coworkers, and about three in five older workers have seen or experienced age discrimination in the workplace.
Discrimination on the basis of race in the film industry is illegal under federal and state laws. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) protects certain applicants and employees 40 years of age and older from discrimination on the basis of age in hiring, promotion, discharge, compensation, or terms, conditions or privileges of employment. Such discrimination can include denying employment opportunities, unequal pay, or creating a hostile work environment. In addition to the ADEA, state laws may also prohibit age discrimination in the workplace. For example, some states have laws that protect employees who are over the age of 18 but not yet 40. Individuals who believe they have been the victim of age discrimination in the workplace can file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or a state labor agency, and may also choose to pursue legal action in court labor agency, and may also choose to pursue legal action in court.
How often has someone been dissuaded from applying to a certain job/position or organization just because of the factor of their age they don’t identify with the company or the culture? Youth can easily be a state of mind. We are still plagued with faux positive quotes like It is never too late to start, but the social constructs are in place to discourage us from doing just that. We have seen ageism impact women more historically, especially in the film industry.