Actresses and Ageism

Jennifer Aniston turned forty today, and now that she's reached a milestone that's considered anathema to Hollywood casting directors, it remains to be seen how her career will fare. Aniston, one of Hollywood's comeliest actresses, has had a rough transition from television to cinema, with a hit-or-miss record at the box office. Just when it seemed her career was in free fall, Marley and Me, a tearjerker pet flick, reversed the trend. But Aniston's acting has never been all that strong, and she has limited herself to playing the sweetheart type Meg Ryan always portrayed in her films; unless Aniston shows more range, her own career will suffer just as Ryan's has.

I have to admit that I find it disgusting that the American entertainment industry has historically cast aside actresses and female singers once they hit middle age. My favorite post-Boomer actress, Teri Polo, reaches the two score mark in June; though she's currently working on two movies, her planned ABC cop drama apparently got cut from that network's schedule. Even more disgusting is that only one particular middle-aged female entertainer has bucked the ageist trend in recent memory . . . and her biggest claims to fame include picking up Hispanic baseball players and kissing Britney Spears!

And by the way, if history is any indication, Britney will still be a teen idol in 2031. :-O