Criticism of Fran Kelly’s new gig Frankly drips with ageism — a stubborn form of discrimination we need to call out

There’s an old adage that if you can’t see it, you can’t be it.

Diversity matters not just because any thriving society will include all because it’s the right thing to do, but because it also delivers the best results — a range of perspectives, a plethora of lived experience and ideas.

But there appears to be a wink wink, nudge nudge acceptance of one particular form of discrimination in Australia that needs to be called out and strongly denounced: ageism. 

There is a mainstream acceptance of the idea that when people reach a certain age they are past their use-by date and should be carted off — that their time is up, they should vacate the space. It is, of course, at odds with contemporary thinking on how modern workplaces should operate, and it is steeped in problematic stereotypes.

When my friend and colleague Fran Kelly was recently announced as the new host of the ABC talk show Frankly, there was a rush of commentary suggesting that older people shouldn’t be getting new gigs.

What the male analysts missed in their takes on Fran Kelly’s appointment was the signal putting a 64 year-old woman on TV sends to women across the country.(ABC News: Steven Siewert)

While the ABC’s programming decisions should absolutely be open to scrutiny, and people are entitled to barrack for their preferred style of host, their arguments should also be subjected to scrutiny. Those who criticised the ABC’s decision to appoint Kelly as presenter seemed to suggest she was past her use-by date and a “safe” choice.

Pitting the old against the young

A reporter at the Sydney Morning Herald, Thomas Mitchell, argued choosing Kelly as host was a missed opportunity for the ABC to reach a younger audience and promote emerging talent:

“Perhaps it would be a 20-something comedian like Aaron Chen or Nina Oyama? What about an up-and-coming YouTuber who might go on to greatness? Dare I say it? Maybe someone at ABC could log on to TikTok and unearth Australia’s next great TV talent. The possibilities are … oh wait, it’s Fran Kelly.”

Mitchell then noted Kelly’s age, used the word “boomer” and suddenly we were in a generational war prism pitting old and young people against each other — rather than looking at the more complex story of representation.

In a column for the Guardian, Luke Buckmaster wrote: “Fran Kelly’s new talk show reminds us that ABC TV programming is depressingly risk-averse, seemingly built on the assumption that people will eventually get old and tune in.”

The ABC should absolutely be platforming younger people in key roles, but that doesn’t mean older people should be carted out on the basis of age. It’s not a zero-sum game.

Guests on the first episode of Frankly: astrophysicist Kirsten Banks, Thai cave rescuer Dr. Richard Harris and comedian Shaun Micallef.(ABC TV)

The other piece missing from this commentary is merit and experience. After 20 years at the top of her game as one of Australia’s leading interviewers, Kelly has a unique skill set honed through years on the radio, in one of the toughest gigs there is. Good organisations both develop talent and promote younger and more experienced workers.

How often do we see women in their 60s on prime time TV? Rarely.

What struck me about the many column inches devoted to all this was the complete absence of any gendered analysis. Older men are a mainstay of our TV screens but women over 50 become culturally invisible.

The power of representation

What the male analysts missed in their takes on Kelly’s appointment was the signal putting a 64 year-old woman on television sends to women across the country.

Add to that the fact Kelly is an out and proud gay woman — another part of the diversity story completely missing from recent commentary — and all of a sudden the power of representation takes on new significance.

When I was growing up as a young gay person I never saw gay people — particularly women — people like me, on TV or anywhere in the public sphere. I was desperate for role models, but they were hard to find. When we see a diversity of people on our screens and in our boardrooms it has a powerful impact on lives.

Ask any woman in her 50s or 60s what happens as they age and you will be gobsmacked by the stories they share. This week I interviewed Australian pop star Darren Hayes, who voluntarily talked about the sexist impact of ageing that happens to middle-aged women. He said women tell him they feel like they disappear.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, research by the Australian Human Rights Commission shows ageism remains the most accepted, but least understood, form of prejudice in Australia. The number of Australians over 65 has doubled in the past 50 years and now represents 15 per cent of our population — and the trend is accelerating.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 6 minutes 17 seconds6m Ageism makes life a challenge for older Australians

In 2016, the Commission released its report, Willing to Work: National Inquiry into Employment Discrimination against Older Australians and Australians with Disability. The Inquiry found that too many people are shut out of work because of underlying assumptions, stereotypes or myths associated with their age. These beliefs lead to discriminatory behaviours during recruitment, in the workplace and in decisions about training, promotion and retirement, voluntary and involuntary. The cost and impact of this is high, for individuals and for our economy.

The thing about age is that, unlike other more fixed identities, it shifts. Young people get old. We all start young, and if we are lucky, we get old too. Good broadcasters and good communities are inclusive of all of those phases of life.

I am often struck by the level of respect afforded to older people in First Nations communities. In Aboriginal culture, rather than feeling shamed or used up and spat out, elders are revered. They are listened to, respected for their wisdom and experience — not diminished or undermined.

Perhaps we need to think about embracing that kind of respect across our country.

Posted 15 Oct 202215 Oct 2022Sat 15 Oct 2022 at 6:00pm, updated 15 Oct 202215 Oct 2022Sat 15 Oct 2022 at 10:39pm