Ageism is a massive issue that is a part of our everyday lives. This form of discrimination can occur to any individual in any age range. Ageism is usually mentioned when expressing the prejudice older adults experience. The article, “What is Ageism?,” states that, “researchers have suggested that stereotypes about older people often relate to how younger people expect them to behave.” (Have You Experienced Ageism?2022) Furthermore, these stereotypes can and have been implemented into various types of media. The type of media I looked into was the sitcom, The Golden Girls.
One aspect of aging is shown in the first episode. We are introduced to one of the main characters named Dorothy. Dorothy is talking about her day teaching. She describes
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This is expressed when Dorothy’s mom, Sophia, goes to Blanche’s house after her nursing home burns down. Sophia arrives unexpectedly and Dorothy responds to her saying that she should have called her. Sophia replies by stating that she is capable of doing things on her own. Later on, Rose is trying to assist Sophia in sitting down because she must be tired. Sophia then jokingly remarks that she, “did not drive the cab.” (Sandrich, 1985) This was interesting since all three of these characters are older adults. However, it should be noted that Sophia is in her late seventies, meanwhile, Rose and Dorothy are in their mid fifties. Additionally, this is considered to be a negative stereotype. According to the article, “Stereotypes about very old people and perceived societal appreciation in very old age,” it says that, “Common negative stereotypes about older people include their suffering from poor health and loneliness, physical and cognitive incompetency, unproductivity and unattractiveness.” (Reissmann, M., Geithner, L., Storms, A., Woopen, C., 2021) The ones being specifically shown here are cognitive incompetency and