Perpetuating the myths – ageism in the media
Bluey is ratings gold for the ABC. She and her little sister Bingo are a tour de force. Bluey is ABC’s most successful show ever and has won 3 Emmys, 5 AACTAs, 2 Logies, and a Bafta.
But Bluey, as a show rather than a character, helps to reinforce myths and negative perceptions of older people. Take for example the character description of Bluey’s grandfather on the show’s website:
Mort is Bluey’s grandad. After a career in the army, he has since retired to a life of canoeing, bush walking, and eating curried sausages. Mort hasn’t kept up with technology over the past couple of decades and is still surprised that ‘this internet thing has really taken off!’
Whilst there’s no definitive age for Mort (or indeed any of the other Bluey characters), a detailed analysis by Reddit users of the plot lines suggests that Mort could be as young as 66.
66 year old people are not surprised that ‘this internet thing has taken off’, far from it.
Denied to Many’s Voice of Experience research shows that 50.8% of all Australian’s aged 50+ use the internet every day, as against 6.2% who still read a daily newspaper (another common misconception regarding media usage).
With so few positive images, characterisations, and stories in the media about being aged 50+, we have created a limited exposure to what positive ageing can look like.
In this context, ‘You can’t be what you can’t see’ is in effect Contact Theory, or the psychological concept that proposes that interactions between members of different social groups can reduce prejudice, improve intergroup relations, and promote social cohesion.
By facilitating positive marketing led images, characterisations and interactions between people of different age groups, Contact Theory suggests that we can help challenge stereotypes, foster understanding, and promote empathy, ultimately reducing ageist attitudes and behaviours.
Contact theory, put simply, determines that increasing the presence of positive images of older adults in media can help improve that group’s attitude in real life, because the way marketers represent older people does influence the ways in which consumers conceptualise ageing.
Embracing this change would lead to both better marketing of products and services to people in midlife and should lead to a reduction in age discrimination in an employment environment. Whilst 53% of our Voice of Experience survey respondents felt they had been discriminated against when applying for a new job, 21.3% felt discriminated against by their current employer, often by their colleagues rather than their manager. Almost 70% attributed their feelings of discrimination to comments or messages from colleagues, something which better representation of older people in media and advertising would help address as generally held beliefs are mitigated.
There are in fairness, great examples of how differently we are starting to portray people in their 50’s.
Take the comparison of the TV shows ‘The Golden Girls’ with ‘And Just Like That…’
The Golden Girls, starring Betty White amongst others, aired between 1985 and 1992, revolves around four older single women, three of whom are widowed and one divorced. "And Just Like That..." is the sequel to the iconic HBO show ‘Sex and the City’ and premiered in December 2021. Set in New York City, the show follows the lives of its three central characters, Carrie Bradshaw, Miranda Hobbes, and Charlotte York.
While both shows feature leading ladies navigating life's ups and downs, ‘And Just Like That...’ focuses on modern women in New York City navigating the complexities of friendship, love, and self-discovery in their 50s, whereas ‘The Golden Girls’ centres around a group of older women embracing friendship and adventure in their golden years.
What’s most interesting however, is that the characters in ‘The Golden Girls’ are younger than those depicted in ‘And Just Like That…’ a very positive shift in the media’s portrayal of women in midlife.
But is that example something we’ve all embraced? Ask yourself, if someone asked you to visualise someone in their fifties, would you imagine Betty White or Sarah Jessica-Parker?
Would you visualise Eminem (51), Idris Elba (51), Jamie Foxx (51) or even Halle Berry (57)?
Overall, media and advertising both play a significant role in shaping societal perceptions of age and ageing. By promoting more inclusive and diverse representations of age, challenging stereotypes, and avoiding ageist messaging, advertisers can help actively combat ageism and contribute to a more age-friendly and equitable society.
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