Ageism, or the discrimination against individuals based on their age, has been a pervasive issue in the entertainment industry for decades. Mature women have been particularly affected, with roles often limited to stereotypical and marginalizing portrayals. The "crone" or "older woman" trope has been a staple of cinema, with women often relegated to roles as wise, but peripheral, figures. This trope has been perpetuated through films such as The Witches of Eastwick (1987) and Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), which feature older women as eccentric, magical, or subservient.
: In 2025, the number of top-grossing films featuring female leads hit a seven-year low. milfnut com