Jamie Denbo, an actor and Jewish mom who stars in “Orange Is the New Black” recently opened up about sexism and agism in Hollywood–and her rant is honestly so refreshing right now, especially at a time where women’s rights are at stake.
Denbo, like many, went to Twitter to talk about what happened to her at a casting call earlier in the week, stating:
“I was just informed that at the age of 43, I am TOO OLD to play the wife of a 57 year old.”
I was just informed that at the age of 43, I am TOO OLD to play the wife of a 57 year old.
— Jamie Denbo (@jamiedenbo) May 4, 2017
She went on to tweet:
“Oh, the characters also have an 18 year-old daughter. I am TOO OLD to be the mother of an 18 year-old. The real wife of the 57 year-old actor is EASILY AT LEAST 50. But this f*cker wants to be tv married to a 38 year-old –TOPS. This is a FIRST marriage, btw. Not a re-wife. Which would make a little more sense. F*CK HOLLYWOOD. #FeudFX. Old white men, enjoy your last run. We are all f*cking done with you lizards.”
Denbo is right to call out those sexist and ageist trolls who told her she was too old. Why is that women are routinely never supposed to age, while their male counterparts do? It’s seriously ridiculous–and anyone who makes excuses for this blatant sexism is probably not someone who has been at the receiving end of it.
While it may just seem like a problem in Hollywood, it’s a problem everywhere, in every industry and facet of life–people comment on women’s bodies all the time (whether it’s because someone didn’t lost “the baby weight,” has too many wrinkles, didn’t dye their hair, etc). Just the way thatwomen, for instance, are “supposed” to dye their grays, as opposed to men, shows how pervasive the double-standard is.
