Kathy Griffin Opens Up About Fighting Ageism In Hollywood

Actress and comedian Kathy Griffin opened up recently about fighting ageism in Hollywood claiming, “I’ve been hearing it since I was 30.”

At a panel discussion that will be held on Friday in Hollywood, Kathy Lee Griffin will join a group of other big names to discuss the prevalent issue of ageism in the entertainment industry. The panel will be moderated by actress Sharon Lawrence and will include actresses: Kathy Griffin, Lesley Ann Warren, JoBeth Williams and Lynn Whitfield. Best-selling author and ageism expert Ashton Applewhite, director Michael Lindsay Hogg, and manger/publicist Harlan Boll will also be in attendance for the discussion.

Griffin, now age 55, claims that she’s been hearing the ageist comments her entire professional life. She explained to Deadline: “I hear it all the time. I’ve been hearing it since I was 30, from managers, agents, studio heads and network executives. I’m sure I heard it in the last year. They really think nothing of saying to me, ‘You’re really funny, but they’ve decided to go younger.’ It’s so common for a woman to hear that. I don’t think anyone ever told them you’re not supposed to say that. They think it’s still a legitimate reason for someone not to get a job.”

The two-time Emmy winner also added: “Hollywood is behind the curve on women’s issue and on who their audience is. They want that 18-29 guy demo, but people who are watching television are not 18-year-old dudes – they’re watching their phones. Suze Orman told me, ‘They don’t have the money.’ People my age have the money. But I still hear this from network advertisers: ‘We need younger eyeballs.’”

Griffin and the rest of the panel will be looking to shed some light on the issue. “Perception has a lot to do with age discrimination,” Griffin explained. “How can we in the entertainment industry help buck the clichés and create new messages? How do we help transform the negative way we view aging for our children, and for our culture at large?”

Do you think that ageism is a problem that needs to be fixed in Hollywood and the rest of the entertainment industry?