For decades, the entertainment industry operated on a tired, dusty formula regarding older women. Once a female actress hit 50, the available roles dried up faster than a bottle of retinol. She was relegated to playing the "Nagging Wife," the "Sassy Grandma," or the "Bewildered Lady Who Can't Work the Remote Control."
Beyond the Bingo Card: How Old Women Became the Secret Weapon of Entertainment Content
Look at The White Lotus . While the younger cast members provide the eye candy, it is the older women—like the sharp-tongued, micro-managing Tanya McQuoid (Jennifer Coolidge, who became a cultural icon for this very reason) or the ruthless grandmomma in Season 3—who drive the chaos.