Want to know the most powerful thing about being an older woman? Not needing to be liked

August 20, 2026 — 7:00pm

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I was watching the ABC’s new (recycled) series Race Around the World the other day. It features a bunch of budding filmmakers who must go off to various parts of the world, find a story and make a film about it, and there was Margaret Pomeranz.

Pomeranz is 82, so she is certainly the oldest judge on that show and probably one of the oldest women still appearing on TV. As a judge, Pomeranz is blunt, knowledgeable and formidably articulate. If she doesn’t like the young filmmaker’s effort, she makes no bones about it. She doesn’t pussyfoot or soften the blow, but she articulates exactly why she doesn’t think the short film works. If she likes a film, that makes her praise even more worthwhile.

Pomeranz also does short, witheringly funny and sarcastic critiques of reality TV shows for The Weekly. She calls, as an old mate of mine would say, a spade an effing shovel. Except neither my friend nor Pomeranz would likely say “effing”.

That’s the thing about older women; we........

© The Age