Age is all the rage
Ageism in western media
Ageing. It happens to us all. Every single one of us will grow old, become wiser, more knowledgeable, gain the respect of younger generations and be celebrated for this journey of life we have taken. The effects of ageing are embraced. Wrinkles are a sign of smiling, laughing and of life being lived. Perhaps we are a little slower from the millions of steps we’ve taken, our bodies may be a little tired, but they have served us so well.
Doesn’t sound quite like ageing in the Western world, does it? Ageing is celebrated and embraced in some cultures but shamed and feared in others. Many western cultures cling onto youth and avoid the signs of ageing. We dye our hair, get a facelift, opt for Botox injections and airbrush our photos to ensure there isn’t a blemish on our faces. We don’t embrace the signs of life being lived and we don’t treat those who have aged with the respect they deserve, nor do we celebrate them in the way they should be celebrated. Is this because of the way ageing is portrayed in the media?
Representations of ageing are reflected in the media which shape our opinions and views of older adults. The media produces ideas of age which contributes to stereotyping and discrimination. We will all grow old with our friends and family, do we not deserve to enjoy and thrive throughout our entire lives, not just our youth? Perhaps the prominence of the media and the value of youth and beauty in western cultures has contributed to negative attitudes towards ageing.
In the past, older adults were the knowledge keepers of the community. The way to learn about history was through them. This transfer of knowledge is no longer as important. Literature suggests that ageism has become more prominent in recent times. Ageism was first defined in by psychiatrist Robert Butler as “prejudice by one age group toward other age groups”. As technology and media continues to develop, we become less dependent on traditional communication methods like storytelling from generation to generation. Now, any historical information you want, or need can be accessed through the click of a button.
Think about pop culture. The elderly portrayed in television and cinema are often under-represented and ignored or alternatively stereotyped. Those actors who we see so frequently on the screen start to appear less and less while the young up and comers in the industry take over. While the population aged over 65 is projected to triple within the next 30 years, older men and women are nearly invisible in the media.
In the Western world, the roles that elderly actors do land often portray characters that the audience is meant to feel sorry for. While this portrayal may have been intended to come across as endearing, the constant depiction of the elderly in this way does feed into stereotypes and have an impact on viewers’ feelings about their own self-image. During his prime, Robert De Niro was portrayed as Jimmy the Gent in Goodfellas, an Irish-American gangster who was brutal, skilful and dangerous. De Niro more recently has starred in an array of comedies as the cute but often overlooked grandpa, representing how as you age, western media values your integrity and prominence less and less.
Not only are these negative portrayals and messages common, but as a market older adults are often forgotten. The ICAA states that “only five percent of marketing dollars are spent on individuals over the age of 50”. Many of the most prominent products on the market are often inappropriate for them as consumers, which in turn can make them feel irrelevant. Older adults should enjoy fulfilment throughout their entire lives and as a society there isn’t much, we are doing to ensure this.
While “old man or old woman” might be considered a “bad word” in the western world, in other cultures old age is honoured and celebrated. Different cultures have very different attitudes towards ageing. The Greek elders are respected and looked to for their wisdom and knowledge from the many years of life they have lived. In India, elders are the head of the family and their advice is sought after. However, The Japanese culture values tradition, family and the elderly. It’s no coincidence that culture has been shown to impact life expectancy. Research shows that the pockets of the world in which the elderly are treated with respect, therefore giving them ‘meaning and purpose’, are the places in which people live the longest and are most commonly reaching the big 1–0–0 milestone.
Unfortunately, in Australia, a lot of shame surrounds ageing which impacts the way older adults view themselves. This contributes to the mental wellbeing of these individuals and often causes them to feel incapable and unwanted. In other cultures, age is celebrated. Grey doesn’t mean weak, frail or incapable. It does mean wise, knowledgeable, capable and strong. It is important that we learn from these cultures and strive for a more positive portrayal of ageing in the media so that our friends, grandparents, parents, ourselves and our children can live meaningful lives and look forward to what’s to come.
