{"id":17439,"date":"2017-02-23T05:00:06","date_gmt":"2017-02-23T13:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/?p=17439"},"modified":"2026-02-22T15:33:48","modified_gmt":"2026-02-22T23:33:48","slug":"silver-screen-seniors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/silver-screen-seniors\/","title":{"rendered":"Silver Screen Seniors"},"content":{"rendered":"

The limelight may favor the young, but as Hollywood strives for inclusivity, a recent study entitled \u201cOver Sixty\"shutterstock_87610327(1)\", Underestimated: A Look at Aging on the \u2018Silver\u2019 Screen,\u201d reveals senior citizens are woefully underrepresented on the big screen.<\/p>\n

With the Terminator eligible for social security, and Die Hard\u2019s Jon McClane just a few years shy of retirement, it might be time for filmmakers to expand their character demographics. Nevertheless, according to the study<\/a>, a joint effort between Humana and USC\u2019s Annenberg School, though senior citizens make up almost one-fifth of ticket buyers, only 11.8% of film characters over the last two years have been over the age of 60.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis underrepresentation is unfortunate,\u201d says Dr. Stacy Smith, Associate Professor at USC\u2019s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and co-author of the study. \u201cAging is one of those areas where exposure to stereotypes can initiate negative cognitions, and those negative cognitions can have negative health effects.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt seems important to take this [exclusion] just as seriously, if not more so, than some of the other groups that are included in the inclusion conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cartoons and Action Figures<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hollywood film producer Gary Lucchesi, who participated in a recent panel<\/a> on the topic, lays some of the blame on lack of opportunity. Last year\u2019s top ten films<\/a> included four animated films, five superhero movies, and another entry into the Star Wars canon. Not much room for dramatic turns by some of the industry\u2019s seasoned professionals. While perennial Oscar nominees like Meryl Streep and Denzel Washington managed to nab some meaty rolls, many older performers are left scrambling for work.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not getting a lot of investment in traditional dramatic stories,\u201d says Lucchesi. \u201cWhen you have that as a reality, you\u2019re obviously going to have [a situation] where the numbers don\u2019t come out as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need more parts for actors of that age so that they can continue to be represented.\u201d<\/p>\n

Demoralizing Dramatics<\/strong><\/p>\n

As Smith points out, the dearth of senior characters in major Hollywood films not only ignores an important demographic, it can also negatively affect how senior\u2019s see themselves. Often depicted as weak and feeble minded, mainstream cinema\u2019s portrayal of society\u2019s older citizens tends to careen into hurtful and demeaning stereotypes.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is clear from this analysis that critically praised movies still invoke outdated stereotypes about what it means to be a senior citizen,\u201d write the report\u2019s authors. \u201cAcross the 100 top-grossing movies of 2015, over half of films with leading and supporting senior characters contained at least one ageist comment.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEven among films that are purported to showcase the best of Hollywood\u2019s creativity and skill, discussions of aging differ little from dialogue in film more broadly.\u201d<\/p>\n

In fact, the Humana study revealed that six out of the 14 films from 2016 featuring an older character in a leading or supporting role contained ageist comments ranging from references to \u201cmentally feeble, sick old ladies\u201d to one-liners like \u201c\u2026just sit here and let Alzheimer\u2019s run its course.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cClearly, there\u2019s more work to be done before we can say precisely how inaccurate media portrayals impact self-image in seniors, from their sense of being valued to their sense of optimism, but what really concerns me as a physician is how a diminished sense of self-worth can, in turn, impact a senior\u2019s health,\u201d said Dr. Yolangel Hernandez Suarez, vice president and chief medical officer of care delivery at Humana.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn our survey, we showed that aging Americans who report feeling more valued in society tend to have more healthy days. At Humana, we believe aging with optimism contributes to health, and that\u2019s why we\u2019re committed to reversing societal perceptions and promoting aging with optimism,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

“When we think about diversity, we often talk about including the usual suspects of race, gender, sexual orientation, people with disabilities, but age is often left out of the conversation,\u201d says Stacey.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s a missed opportunity for Hollywood. These are people with disposable income and time on their hands to view and stream and download films.”<\/p>\n

The Academy Awards<\/a> will air on Sunday, February 26, 2017.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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