Ageing bodies of women and men in pop culture

What is it about?

There is hardly a better compliment than being told “you don’t look your age.” Even if always intended as an expression of praise, this remark reveals how the fear of ageing is pervading our culture and its manifestations. When 'looking young' becomes a model of success, both age denial and ‘age-shaming’ emerge as widespread responses. But how do media and popular culture picture men's and women's ageing bodies? This special issue of Feminist Media Studies gathers examples of ageing bodies in film, social media, TV series and hip-hop.

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Why is it important?

There is a double standard when it comes to ageing: men seem to become more attractive as they grow older, while women are trapped in the impossible position of either trying to look young or displaying their ageing process. They will be criticized either way. The importance of this issue lies in putting our finger on those instances where the body in popular media becomes a site of struggle, a battlefield of sorts, where ageism and heteronormativity shape ageing experiences.

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