Amy Schumer And Emma Thompson Call Out Ageism in the Media

by Emily Ehrlich

Over recent years the media has been buzzing about the lovely and talented Emma Thompson, as she graces red carpets and interviews alike with her heart on her sleeve and a wit that won’t quit. Winner of multiple Academy Awards and Oscars, this vivacious actress has become known for her talent as well as her innate ability to speak her mind in the most unapologetic way that can only be described as awesome.

One thing she is not afraid to speak on: feminism. “I’ve been a card-carrying, radical feminist since I was 19,” she says. “Any woman who says they’re not a feminist is basically saying that they don’t believe in equal rights for women.” Thompson has never been afraid to call out misogyny in the media, and this comes to a peak when she voices her own experiences as an actress.

Many have heard of her recounts following the filming of 1995’s Sense and Sensibility, a film for which she was not only nominated for her acting, but was also awarded the Oscar for Best Writing. Despite these accomplishments, Thompson was apparently deemed, by some, unsuited for the role. She has been quoted saying, “I remember somebody saying to me that I was too old for Hugh Grant, who is like a year younger than me, in Sense and Sensibility. I said, ‘Do you want to go take a flying leap?”

Luckily Thompson has been vocal about issues like this. “The age thing is insane. It was ever thus,” she says. “I remember saying years and years ago, when I was 35, that they’d have to exhume somebody to play my leading man … Nothing’s changed in that regard. If anything, it’s got worse.” The fact that a woman who is no stranger to the industry faced an issue like this is ridiculous – however, because of actresses like Thompson, more people are starting to take notice and push the issue further.

For instance, one can look to Amy Schumer for some comedic light to the situation. In her skit from her Comedy Central series Inside Amy Schumer entitled Last F**kable Day, she stumbles upon Tina Fey and Patricia Arquette celebrating Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ final days as a sex symbol. The women discuss how their roles change as they age – how women transform from love interest to mom, end up having wardrobes that cover them head-to-toe, and appear in movies with dismissing titles like “She Means Well.” This all becomes even more sobering when you realize just what they mean by old, as Louis-Dreyfus declares, “Believe me, no one was more surprised than me that they let me stay f**kable throughout my 40’s.” That means that women in their 30’s may be considered past their prime. And what’s even worse? The video goes on to say how this day does not exist for men at all – that they can continue to be sex symbols for life.

This is such a twisted view of the world, and it is being broadcasted to women across the globe on a daily basis. There are too many women who fear aging to extreme degrees, who undergo dangerous surgeries, and shovel out money for the best creams on the market. Aging should not be a terrifying concept. Thanks to women like Emma Thompson, the conversation has been started and it is interesting and encouraging to see women like Amy Schumer push the idea further into the limelight.

Images via Sense and Sensibility , queerty-prodweb

Read more on Bust.com:

Emma Thompson Says Hollywood Is In A “Worse State” For Women

Tina Fey, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Patricia Arquette School Amy Schumer On Female F*Ckability

Amy Schumer Proves That Being A Princess Ain’t All It’s Cracked Up To Be

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