TOB followers know that we are obsessed with discovering positive and powerful roles for older women in movies and TV. That’s why we lure our sister Screen Bitches -- Debbie Zimmerman (Women Make Movies), Malaga Baldi (Baldi Literary Agency) and Aruna Rao (Gender at Work) – onto the podcast at least twice a year to schmooze about what we’re watching and how TV and movies challenge (or regrettably affirm) stereotypes of older women in popular media. This time, we were kind of gobsmacked. For three reasons. First, because Debbie was inducted into the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences (Oscars!) this year --so this episode features her firsthand account of an Academy newbie, walking the (other) red carpet. Second, because we actually found at least one film and a dramatic series with really superb portrayals of older women. If you haven’t seen Slow Horses (Apple TV) or Nyad (Netflix), stop what you’re doing right now and tune in. We thought that Annette Bening and Jodie Foster were extraordinary in the way they portrayed 60-year old Diana Nyad and her best friend Bonnie Stoll in Nyad's swim from Cuba to Florida. (Only three of us loved the movie.) And while they are not main characters, three —not one, but three!— powerful and pivotal women over 50 in Slow Horses – Sophie Okonedo, Saskia Reeves, and Kristin Scott Thomas -- epitomize characteristics you rarely see attributed to women of a certain age.

And third, we were so inspired – especially by Slow Horses – that TOB is now launching a screening tool to let movie and TV makers know we’re watching. You know how Alison Bechdel brilliantly coined The Bechdel Test as a set of three simple criteria to measure the active presence (or absence) of women in film? Well, we love that test – and appreciate the influence it’s had on generating more and better roles for women -- so we’re introducing The TOBies, a set of 5 criteria to measure the quality of presence of OLDER women in TV and film. And they are that the older women are: 1) NOT solely defined by their age; 2) integral to the plot; 3) making independent choices (e.g., they have agency); 4) NOT seeking a man as ‘the prize’; 5) there are at least two older women (e.g., no tokenism). We’d love to know what you think! And to know if you see any films or TV shows where you think the portrayals of older women meet these criteria. Wouldn’t you love to join us on Screen Bitches this year?

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Visit www.twooldbitches.com

Follow us on Instagram @twooldbitches, Twitter @TwoOldBitches, Facebook @TwoOBPodcast

Created, Produced and hosted by Joanne Sandler & Idelisse Malavé

Edited by Jeyda Bicer

Social media management by Loubna Bouajaj

True confessions: as Two Old Bitches, we fully expected the Golden Bachelor to
be the height of cringey, old-people porn. Watching 22 women in their 60s and
70s compete for the affections of one old man threatened gladiator-level, fury-
induced female feuds. And were we ever wrong! Kathy Swarts, one of the
most memorable of the contestants, set us straight in our delightful
conversation with her. Kathy, at 70 years old, helped us understand that the
real story of the Golden Bachelor is not a longed-for romance between a man
and a woman --in this case, Gerry Turner and his choice, Theresa Nist who
married immediately after the show ended to only announce their divorce
three months later in mid-April! The real story is the phenomenal friendships
forged by the gutsy, adventurous and authentic women who were chosen to
‘contest.’ Join us to hear Kathy, and two other contestants who make surprise
cameo appearances, reveal how their experiences on the show awakened
new curiosities and aspirations. From finding a man who loves life as much as
she does to hosting her own TV show, Kathy, and her new crew of friends, are
exploring a new range of possibilities for what’s next. We’re sure you’ll want to
know more so once you’ve tuned in to this TOB episode, join Kathy and
Susan Noles, another contestant, for their new podcast, The Golden Hour. This
conversation roused our interest in delving into the diverse approaches and
stories of ‘later daters,’ so if you have an experience to share about dating in
your 60s, 70s or 80s – or why you’ve decided to forego the experience –
please reach out to us through our website or DM us on Instagram or
Facebook! Enjoy the show!

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Visit www.twooldbitches.com

Follow us on Instagram @twooldbitches, Twitter @TwoOldBitches, Facebook @TwoOBPodcast

Created, Produced and hosted by Joanne Sandler & Idelisse Malavé

Edited by Jeyda Bicer

Social media management by Loubna Bouajaj

American sculptor Jeanne Silverthorne, 73, is an “artist’s artist” known for cast rubber pieces and installations drawn from her studio, turning everyday objects and people into “metaphors for the inevitability of age and decay, …tempered with humor, hope and humanity.” (For photos of a favorite work of ours, Banshee: Self-Portrait at 73, see our website and social media.) She has showed her work at leading New York galleries for decades (currently at the Marc Straus Gallery) and in one-person exhibits including PS1 and the Whitney Museum in New York and the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia. Jeanne is on the faculty of the School for Visual Arts and has written extensively about art in a range of publications, most recently in the Brooklyn Rail with “Playing It Out” about aging as an artist. She is witty and wise, and surprisingly shy though you’d never guess it. More about that in our lively conversation with the delightful, insightful and gifted Jeanne Silverthorne.

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Visit www.twooldbitches.com

Follow us on Instagram @twooldbitches, Twitter @TwoOldBitches, Facebook @TwoOBPodcast

Created, Produced and hosted by Joanne Sandler & Idelisse Malavé

Edited by Jeyda Bicer

Social media management by Loubna Bouajaj