Invisible Women

[Lisa D]

28. Your post reminded me of a speech

Last edited Thu Feb 16, 2012, 03:40 AM - Edit history (1)

Frances McDormand gave in the movie Something's Gotta Give. Her character, Zoe, is a womens' studies professor at a university and she's fascinated that 63 year old Jack Nicholson was dating her 20-something niece, Marin, rather than a woman like Erica, an interesting, successful woman nearer his own age.

Zoe: "This is really fascinating, what's going on at this table. Let's take you and Erica. You've been around the block a few times. What are you, around 60? 63. Fantastic! Never married, which as we know, if you were a woman, would be a curse. You'd be an old maid, a spinster. Blah, blah, blah. So instead of pitying you, they write an article about you. Celebrate your never marrying. You’re elusive and ungettable, a real catch.
Then, there’s my gorgeous sister here. Look at her. She is so accomplished. Most successful female playwright since who? Lillian Hellmann? She’s over 50, divorced, and she sits in night after night after night because available guys her age want something—forgive me, they want somebody that looks like Marin. The over-50 dating scene is geared towards men leaving older women out. And as a result, the women become more and more productive and therefore, more and more interesting. Which, in turn, makes them even less desirable because as we all know, men— especially older men— are threatened and afraid of productive, interesting women. It is just so clear! Single older women as a demographic are about as fucked a group as can ever exist."

Maybe the anger and hostility from men that you talked about in your post is born of fear, because they're threatened by the power of older women.

Thoughts?