AARP Study: Older Adults Demand More Age-Representative Movies and TV

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AARP is urging Hollywood to age up.

A recently published report, released on a Friday by the organization, indicates that a majority of individuals aged 50 and above tend to favor films and television shows featuring characters who share their age and life circumstances.

The findings from the study titled “Breaking Stereotypes: Advocating for Authentic Portrayal of Seniors in Film and TV” have been made public prior to the AARP’s Movie for Grownups Awards ceremony scheduled for this coming Saturday in Beverly Hills.

The findings from our survey confirm our long-held belief that the Movies for Grownups Awards program is important because older adults value seeing their lives portrayed authentically on screen,” Heather Nawrocki, vice president of AARP Movies for Grownups, stated. “Similarly, filmmakers and studios who create content that resonates with this demographic can tap into the considerable purchasing power and loyalty of older adults.

A recent study by AARP involving 1,010 adults aged 50 and above highlights various challenges hindering authentic portrayals of older actors in films and television. Nearly 52% of respondents cited the common belief among audiences that younger actors are more preferred as a significant hurdle to increased visibility for older actors on screen. Furthermore, over four out of ten respondents (42%) pointed to industry bias, while almost half (46%) identified limited roles available for older actors as substantial obstacles in this regard.

A significant majority of participants (approximately 69%) emphasize the importance of portraying older adults authentically in movies and TV shows, both in character selection and plot development. Additionally, nearly four out of five people believe that actors aged 50 and above, whether male (80%) or female (84%), as well as directors, writers, and producers in this age group (83%), offer distinct viewpoints.

More than half of the surveyed individuals advocate for:
1. Enhancing positive representations of elderly adults (about 55%)
2. Advocating for equal chances in acting, directing, writing, and producing roles for people aged 50 and above (approximately 53%).
These modifications are considered crucial moves towards a more diverse and representative media world that truly reflects society as a whole.

Approximately 61 million individuals aged fifty and above went to cinemas during the past year, while over 84 million subscribed to streaming platforms, as per MRI-Simmons data. AARP further reveals that, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, adults aged fifty and up shelled out around $10.7 billion on movie and TV streaming in 2023, marking an increase from the $8.9 billion spent in 2022.

2024 AARP Movie for Grownups nominations for best picture feature “A Complete Unknown”, “Conclave”, “Emilia Pérez”, “Gladiator II” and “September 5th”. In simpler terms, these are the five movies nominated in the ‘Best Picture’ category for the 2024 AARP Movie for Grownups Awards.

In this competition, the nominees for Best Actress are Pamela Anderson from “The Last Showgirl,” Marianne Jean-Baptiste from “Hard Truths,” Nicole Kidman from “Babygirl,” Demi Moore from “The Substance,” and June Squibb from “Thelma.” On the other hand, the nominees for Best Actor are Adrien Brody from “The Brutalist,” Daniel Craig from “Queer,” Colman Domingo from “Sing Sing,” Ralph Fiennes from “Conclave,” and Jude Law from “The Order.

Among the contenders for the Best Director award are Pedro Almodóvar (for “The Room Next Door”), Jacques Audiard (“Emilia Pérez”), Edward Berger (“Conclave”), James Mangold (“A Complete Unknown”) and Ridley Scott, who is back with “Gladiator II”.

See the complete list of nominees here.

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2025-02-07 20:47