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Ageing Women in Literature and Visual Culture pp 167–180Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

Older Women and Sexuality On-Screen: Euphemism and Evasion?

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Abstract

Over the last two decades, a very small number of films have begun to tentatively explore ageing female sexuality on-screen, thus challenging prevailing attitudes about the supposed asexuality of older women. This paper will track the extent to which this ideological shift has continued to gain ground over the last number of years, given factors such as changing demographics, the perceived power of the “grey pound,” the continuing popularity of a range of ageing female stars and the emergence of a number of high-profile “silvering screen” films. A close reading of three films, Hope Springs (2012) , Le Week-End (2013) and 45 Years (2015) explores the parameters, both visual and narrative, of recent representations of ageing women and sexuality.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    US films representing mature female sexuality on screen, from 2000–2007, was half of one percent; in UK films between 1998–2011 it was just under one percent and in Irish film for the same period it was three percent. The expression of mature female sexuality was defined as any sexual activity from a passionate kiss to a sexual touch to simulated sexual intercourse.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, Ireland

    Susan Liddy

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  1. Susan Liddy
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Correspondence to Susan Liddy .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Independent Researcher, Limerick, Ireland

    Cathy McGlynn

  2. Gender ARC, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland

    Margaret O'Neill

  3. Languages, Literatures and Cultures, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland

    Michaela Schrage-Früh

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Liddy, S. (2017). Older Women and Sexuality On-Screen: Euphemism and Evasion?. In: McGlynn, C., O'Neill, M., Schrage-Früh, M. (eds) Ageing Women in Literature and Visual Culture. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63609-2_10

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