Similarly, The Golden Bachelor and The Golden Bachelorette shocked network executives by drawing massive ratings. Why? Because watching people in their 60s and 70s fall in love is not "cute"—it is hopeful. It reminds us that emotional depth gets better with age. We have spent decades watching Al Pacino and Robert De Niro play morally grey old men. Now, it is the women's turn.

You are the main event.

But if you’ve been paying attention to cinema and streaming over the last five years, you know that clock has been shattered.

For decades, there was a ticking clock in Hollywood. If you were a woman, the alarm usually went off around age 40. Suddenly, the leading roles dried up, the rom-com offers turned into "mother of the bride" cameos, and the industry whisper was cruel: You are past your sell-by date.

That trope is dead.

Look at . After decades in the industry, she didn’t fade into the background; she dyed her hair green, leaned into chaos, and won an Oscar for Everything Everywhere All at Once . She proved that "weird" is not reserved for young indie stars.