April 2023
Last night while watching a popular general news show on television, the panel of the 30-something hosts were talking about a segment that had just finished.
One of the presenters turned to the other and said, “well, you think that women over 50 are annoying!”
He said it in an off hand remark and to get a laugh but when I heard it, I didn’t hear it as a joke. I heard it as something that was previously discussed or joked about off air, privately and now it was accidentally aired on live television across millions of viewers around Australia.
They laughed and joked and mentioned something else until the other person remembered to say, “I don’t think all women over 50 are annoying” but it was the delay in the response and it felt like something he had to say. Offhand.
I’d hope that someone in the booth had mentioned to him to say something in his earpiece.
“Women over 50 are annoying”.
Part of me feels that this presenter aired the truth of what many people really think.
This statement has been going over in my head all night. One statement, one gender completely whitewashed and tainted as annoying.
This is what is annoying to me. Everyone laughed. No one else – not even the females – made a comment.
Stuff like this stands out to me more than ever before. Women over 50 are also derogatorily known as “Karen”. A term that I’ve had others describe me a few times – to my face and online.
The cynic in me tells me that the reason why we are portrayed as “annoying” is that finally, women in their 50s have found their voice.
They’re not afraid to call out the bullshit or question your actions, intentions or ideas. They’ll face off men, younger or peers and at times, this looks threatening to them so hence the whitewashing that all women over 50 are annoying. Younger women are more likely to listen, concede and likely to not make a fuss.
I was so angry that it was the first time I checked Twitter since leaving the platform to see what discussion was online about this and if anyone had picked up on it.
There was none.
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