Double Standard 4
Maintaining the Double Standard:
Portrayals of Age and Gender in Popular Television and Film
Compared to the age distribution of Americans, the age of characters in prime-
time television programs and film seem increasingly distorted. According to the U.S.
Census Bureau (2002), the percentage of individuals under 35 has declined over the last
20 years; the percentage of those 35 and older has increased. Older Americans represent
the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population. Demographers predict that
individuals 50 and older will account for 47% of Americans by the year 2020 (Brock,
2002; Francese, 2001). Despite this general trend in the U.S. population, Americans 13
and older remain relatively even in their distribution. Grouped in ten-year cohorts, the
percentage ranges from a low of 12% for teens (13-19 years old) to a high of 18% for the
30-39 and 40-49 age cohorts. Seniors 60 years old and older constitute the largest cohort
at 22% (U.S. Census Bureau, 2003).
Popular media, on the other hand, distort the distribution of age groups,
dramatically over-representing individuals in midlife and severely under-representing
those 50 and older. In the U.S. population, women account for a larger percentage of the
50 and older cohort than do men. However, in media portrayals, female characters 50 and
older experience much more pronounced ageist media portrayals than male characters
(Gerbner, Gross, Signorielli, & Morgan, 1980; Greenberg, Korzenny, & Atkin, 1980;
Powell & Williamson, 1985; Vernon, Williams, Phillips, & Wilson, 1991).
The present study considers whether popular television and film continue to
misrepresent age, providing particularly negative portrayals of older female characters.
Examining the prime-time situation comedies and dramas airing on the six broadcast
Convention