FEATURE:
The Continuing Issue of Ageism
IN THIS PHOTO: Catherine Zeta-Jones at Netflix's Wednesday FYC Event at Netflix Tudum Theater on 9th November, 2025 in Los Angeles. She was criticised by many because of her appearance, sparking conversations around age-shaming and misogyny/PHOTO CREDIT: Steve Granitz/FilmMagic
Why Are Women Not Afforded the Same Acceptance and Respect As Men?
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ALTHOUGH this is not strictly music-related…
IN THIS PHOTO: Lady Gaga has spoken out against ageism in music, and how women in their mid and late-thirties are often disregarded and side-lined/PHOTO CREDIT: Greg Swales for Rolling Stone
or tied to any specific news story from that world, it is something that can be applied to music too. How there is still this massive issue of ageism. I have written about this multiple times. Figures in the music industry constantly scrutinised because of their age. Though it does not apply to men as much as to women, men do face it. However, think about the music industry and the opportunities available to women over the age of forty or even younger, and compared that to younger women and men. I did note in a post how festivals are especially ageist when it comes to women. Even though Glastonbury is terrific, among the very small (and inexcusable) number of female headliners, only one has been forty or older (Marcella Detroit of Shakespears Sister). Even this year when you think Kylie Minogue should have been booked, the only female headliner on the bill, Olivia Rodrigo, was in her twenties. To be fair, she slayed it and was the best headliner. Even so, festivals tend not to make visible women who are deemed to be less relevant. Ageism is very much present. Radio stations playing few songs by women in their thirties, forties or older. Whilst not a conscious bias in some cases, there is an issue that needs to be tackled. Lady Gaga address ageism in music earlier in the year when she collected an award: “The US singer, 38, who recently topped the UK album charts for a fifth time with her latest album Mayhem, said she is “just getting warmed up” even though “the world might consider a woman in her late 30s old”. The Abracadabra singer picked up the innovator award and also won the best collaboration gong, along with US music star Bruno Mars, for their hit single Die With A Smile, which features on her new record. “I don’t know totally how to think about this, because winning an award honouring my entire career at 38 years old is a hard thing to get my head around,” she said, while accepting the innovator award. “On the one hand, I feel like I’ve been doing this forever, and on the other hand, I know I’m just getting started. “Even though the world might consider a woman in her late 30s old, for a pop star, which is insane, I promise that I’m just getting warmed up”.
Maybe radio stations, labels and even fans do not feel like the lyrics written by women in the late-thirties or forties are not relevant. That they cannot relate to it. This article from The Boar from October notes how ageism is still silencing artists. I am going to move to an article that was published last week that angered me. However, it is clear ageism is a huge problem in music:
“Is this 2015? Both the media and the public slated Taylor Swift for the first 10 years of her career for being a serial dater, and now she’s happy and settled down, they’ve found something else to complain about. Even the Swifties are calling Swift out for her so-called immature lyricism on new album, The Life of a Showgirl. The song ‘Wood’ has been the worst offender, focusing on the 35-year-old’s private life with fiancé Travis Kelce.
Many have compared ‘Wood’ to the work of Sabrina Carpenter, known for her sexual innuendos and performances, arguing there is something uncomfortable about someone of Swift’s age writing songs reminiscent of her contemporaries’ work. However, The Life of a Showgirl was marketed as having the lyrics of Swift’s eighth studio album folklore, so perhaps fans are just surprised at the seemingly shallow songwriting. And they aren’t wrong, as “And you can aim for my heart, go for blood/ But you would still miss me in your bones” (‘my tears ricochet’, Taylor Swift) doesn’t scream “His love was the key that opened my thighs” (‘Wood’, Taylor Swift) to me.
Despite this, ageism is clearly an issue in the music industry. Madonna, 67, has been called out by the press endlessly for not ‘aging gracefully’, many arguing this led to her fall from grace as one of the world’s best popstars. Janet Jackson, 59, headlined the Super Bowl in 2022, yet her epic performance was overshadowed by comments about her age and suggestions that a younger artist should’ve filled the slot. The industry evidently has something against older artists, and – in particular – women.
So, is there an unfair misogynistic standard in place, or do female artists pave their own path to ambiguity? Perhaps it’s both. It could be argued artists aren’t helping themselves. Sabrina Carpenter’s latest album, Man’s Best Friend, is essentially ten sexual innuendos disguised as songs. Given her repertoire so far, she isn’t particularly building a career to last – older artists are entitled to write about all facets of their life, but Carpenter will have to diversify at some point, not due to age, but simply to maintain relevance.
Ageism has necessitated the reinvention of female artists. Kylie Minogue, for example, has delved into different facets of her identity throughout her discography to maintain popularity. Saying this, artists are expected to change and develop with age, so Minogue’s shape-shifting stage presence isn’t wholly forced – people want to see reality reflected in art. Reinvention, however, creates a sense of freshness, female artists unfortunately forced to play into innocence to stay relevant”.
Whilst that article does try and push some of the blame onto women – it was written by a man, so I am not surprised that the narrative is not as wholly supportive to women as it should be! -, there are key points raised. A double standard that does not really apply to men. As the BBC report, actor Catherine Zeta-Jones was recently subjected to ageist remarks and insults regarding her appearance when she attended an event:
“Women are rallying behind Oscar-winning actor Catherine Zeta-Jones after she faced criticism on social media over her looks at a recent red carpet event.
Zeta-Jones, 56, attended a Netflix event in Los Angeles on 9 November where a TikTok interview about her role in the latest Wednesday series was overshadowed by comments about her appearance.
Laura White, 58, and this year's winner of Miss Great Britain Classic, called the backlash "complete nonsense", adding that "men don't have this sell-by/use-by date that women do".
Beauty journalist Sali Hughes, 50, said unlike men, women were unfairly judged for ageing and Mumbles-born Zeta-Jones should be free to look however she liked.
In the video, which was also posted on Facebook and had more than 2.5m views, Zeta-Jones, who is married to actor Michael Douglas, talked about how much she enjoyed exploring her character, Morticia Addams, in season two.
But many of the hundreds of comments focused on her age and were disparaging about her appearance.
Women have defended the actor after she faced criticism over her looks.
The online backlash sparked widespread defence of Zeta-Jones, including a viral video from one Facebook user which said: "You bully women when they get too much work done and bully them when they don't have enough."
Commenters also came to her defence, with one writing: "It's called ageing naturally and she looks beautiful."
Others described her as "gorgeous" and "so pretty", while someone else said that "she looks her age - that's called reality".
Laura White says "men don't have this sell-by/use-by date that women do"
Ms White arrived for her interview at BBC Radio Wales Breakfast on Thursday makeup-free to "prove a point" and to show there was no set "template" for what a woman in her 50s should look like.
Like many women her age, she said she "takes care of herself", not to look younger but to feel "better" and look "healthy".
"Ageing is a privilege and if we can do it the best we can, that's what really matters," she added”.
I do agree that men in music and bands can face barriers regarding their age. However, consider the dynamic and make-up of modern Pop. The mainstream. When it comes to women, it is dominated by those under forty. Perhaps thirty-five and younger. Very few stations playing women of a certain age. Even music magazines do not regularly put on their cover women over the age of forty. As Lady Gaga said, when you are thirty-five or forty then you are just getting started. Your most important life events are at that age or still ahead. Having lived longer and possessing this experience and knowledge should be embraced and demanded. Instead, youth is equated to popularity and importance. As Catherine Zeta-Jones experienced, women’s looks and bodies are very much at the centre of this. It is ageism, though it is also misogyny. Women judging older women in addition to men. Zeta-Jones looks amazing and is stunning. She is an incredible actor and someone who deserves endless respect. However, for her and many women in their fifties (and younger), they are scrutinised and judged. Is social media making the situation uncontrollable?! Perhaps so. This age-old perception that women over thirty or forty are past it, irrelevant and somewhat ugly or undesirable. It is a maddening and vile mindset that needs to end. If women in music are defiant and hit back at those who marginalise them because of their age, it shouldn’t have to be that way. Why are women not afforded the same dignity – or a lack of disrespect and ageism – as men?!It does seem horrifying that women music have to encounter it. The story involving Catherine Zeta-Jones reignited this anger in me. I hope there are these new conversations where we tackle ageism and ask why women are still widely valued because of their youth and looks, whereas men are not seen in the same way. Women over thirty, forty and fifty are vital, incredible, amazing, inspiring, beautiful and hugely relevant and important. It is true across all fields of society, and especially so in music. This insulting and misogynist ageism runs rife and shows no sign or ending. The women who are subjected to this horrible judgement, criticism and sexism should be treated…
WITH greater respect.