The entertainment industry's fear of aging is a real problem, and it continues to force an unfair and abusive picture of a natural and graceful process. Hallmark has come under fire for being yet another mogul to victimize fantastic stars simply because they are getting older.
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A new discrimination lawsuit has been brought against the company, stating that they are terminating stars' contracts simply due to them getting older. In the statement, Daley, the executive vice president of programming allegedly said "Lacey's getting older and we have to find someone like her to replace her as she gets older," about Lacy Chabert. She is only 42 years old and has starred in some of their better movies.
The lawsuit also states that Daley said of Robinson Peete "No one wants her because she's too expensive and getting too old. She can't play leading roles anymore." This is typical of an industry obsessed with young looks and money. However, it isn't fair to the stars, or older women looking for some representation on screen.
Hell Hath No Fury
The suit is being brought forward by Penny Perry, the 79-year-old casting director. She was recently fired from her position, only weeks after returning from heart surgery. The ex-Hallmark employee suffers from MS and is legally blind in one eye.
Perry claims that while working for Hallmark she was regularly tormented by Randy Pope, the senior vice president. He is also being included in the lawsuit. It appears she isn't leaving without making herself heard, and rightly so. She is looking to stand up for the older stars.
There are many actors' names in the lawsuit, each being dismissed due to their age. This is a common problem in the entertainment industry but by no means a new one. This has been an unfair and often overlooked practice for as long as faces have been on screens.
The timing couldn't have been better to raise this issue to the limelight for Perry. With the new hit body horror film The Substance in cinemas, the issue of aging and our abject fear of it has never been more present. It's time to let our favorite stars get older and age with them.
