Abstract
This article examines the portrayal of midlife women’s sexuality in 13 recent U.S. narrative films. Content analysis of these films suggests that film portrayals of midlife women’s sexuality are relatively muted, with the most positive portrayals found in the broadest comedies. In addition, midlife women’s bodies are more often displayed as objects of humor than as objects of desire, the “female gaze” at the male body is shown only humorously, and midlife women’s sexuality is primarily validated for slim, white, middle-class women in committed romantic relationships with “age-appropriate” partners. Nevertheless, these films suggest that midlife women should have sexual desires, should act on those desires, should experience sexual pleasure, and should not sacrifice their sexual needs for a man’s approval.
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Notes
Unfortunately, the study reported some figures for ages 45–49 and others for 45–59.
Film titles were obtained from www.imdb.com, actresses’ ages from www.filmbug.com, and grosses from www.the-movie-times.com/thrsdir/actors.mv?actress+ByAG, “Top Actress By Avg Box Office Gross of all movies,” accessed May 2007.
The film Mamma Mia appeared still later.
The film also includes a scene in which two married “existential detectives” (67-year-old Dustin Hoffman and 65-year-old Lilly Tomlin), both just above this study’s age limit, kiss passionately.
However, Eve’s friend, Diane (44-year-old Bebe Neuwirth—just under this sample’s age limit, playing a 40-year-old, and in a more minor role), thoroughly enjoys seducing Oscar and seems unperturbed by the brevity of their sexual relationship.
For two striking counter-examples involving women characters just outside the age range covered in this article, see How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer and How Stella Got Her Groove Back.
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Acknowledgments
This article benefited greatly from the expert advice of Peter Lehman, Aaron Baker, and, especially, Joseph Eschrich, Georganne Scheiner, and Laura Carpenter.