If you watch a random assortment of Hollywood movies, you could be forgiven for believing that the only people who have sex are in their 20s and, occasionally, 30s. When people in their 50s and older engage in an on-screen romance, their relationship is typically portrayed as sweet, cute and humorous.

In other words, the message that film-makers send us is, “Sex is for when you are young. Companionship is for when you’re older.” While it’s true that most of us know more about relationships now than we did as teenagers, this certainly doesn’t mean that sex has left the building. Far from it! In real life, baby boomers are saying that sex gets better with age.

Why is Sex After 50 Taboo on Screen?

So, this begs a question. If most of us believe that sex gets better with age and baby boomers make up a huge market for movies and TV shows, why don’t we see more sex after 50 on screen? I’m not talking about adult movies. I’m talking about realistic portrayals of life after 50, in which sex plays an important role. Why is sex after 50 a taboo in Hollywood?

Are there exceptions? Yes. But, for the most part, young people have a monopoly on sex on screen. When older folks are portrayed in a sexual way in films, they are usually there for effect. Like the gorgeous Jane Seymour in Wedding Crashers, they stand out precisely because they are older and sexy.

I’m curious what you think about this. Do you think that we should see more sex after 50 in movies? Once again, I’m not talking about graphic sex. Rather, I’m curious if you think that addressing the sexual side of life after 50 would give a more accurate portrayal of our generation? Or, would you prefer to leave on-screen sex to people in their 20s?

Why do you think that Hollywood avoids sex after 50 in movies? Do you think that they believe that audiences don’t want to see sex after 50? Or, is there something else going on? Please join the conversation.

Here’s a short video that I recorded on the topic of sex after 50.