It's Time For Hollywood Ageism To Die, And Change Needs To Come From The Top

ageism

Marta Kauffman was at lunch with the head of Skydance Productions when she found out that Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin were interested in working in television. She thought the two wanted to work together, and her misunderstanding reunited the "9 to 5" actresses by happy accident. "I called my agent and said, 'Is it true Jane and Lily want to work together?'" Kauffman told The Huffington Post. "She calls me back, I guess 20 minutes later, and said, 'They do now.'" And so, "Grace And Frankie" was born.

Ten or 15 years ago, moving to TV would have been seen as a setback, especially for Fonda. But, as headlines would have us believe, we've entered a sort of TV golden age. Beyond that, there's just not a lot of work for women of a certain age anywhere in the industry.

"How many jobs are there -- full-time jobs -- out there for woman of their age?" Kauffman asked. "Especially in our business. There's just not a lot out there for them."

The discussion around ageism in Hollywood rose up again this week around yet another brilliant "Inside Amy Schumer" sketch. Alongside Tina Fey and Patricia Arquette, Schumer celebrates Julia Louis-Dreyfus' "last f--kable day ."

"In every actress's life, the media decides when you finally reach the point that you're not believably f--kable anymore," she explains, over a picnic with cake and wine.

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