This chapter essentially discussed the perception of aging women in our society and the discrimination against older women that exists in the media. It is fair to say that we live in a culture that emphasizes youth and that most of this obsession is with the physical beauty and power that is inherent in youth. Even words in our every day life exemplify this obsession; it is a compliment to be told you look young or youthful and it is an insult to be told you look old-or to even be told you look your age. It’s funny that I read this chapter at this time because my sister and I were having a conversation about how ageist members of our family are today. From a very early age, birthday party’s for young children are huge fun and whenever you ask a young kid how old they are, they can tell it to you to at least to the month, or even to the day! A kid I used to babysit would always give me updates, “I will be 4 and 2/3rd next week!” But even in my family, my sister and I were socialized early enough that asking a woman her age was blasphemy. We would often go to birthday parties for my grandmother or great grandmother and seriously not know how old they were. We knew because of the gray hair and the aging skin, however, that a candle for every year would be impossible to fit on an average size cake so we would just go along with a “Happy Birthday” and their name. It is unfair, however, to include my mother in this stereotype because she has also told us that again should be a beautiful and natural process that is not to be ashamed or sad about.
In reflecting critically about media texts that I engage in, such as television and movies, it is very easy to see discrimination that exists. Like the text mentions, there is a “young” vs. “old” dichotomy in female characters portrayed on television or in movies. Unfortunately, the “old” tends to represent, or be a metaphor for senile, weak, unappealing, vulnerable and diseased. It is unfair that society and the media place unfair standards on women for maintaining youth and beauty forever. I myself, find beauty at all different ages and resent the fact that growing old is something I should be afraid of. An example in the media of this ageist view is articulated by Debbie in “Knocked Up” who, in tears, mentions how unfair the double standard is in society and how her husband gets better looking as he gets older and how she gets less attractive. This difference also has to do with basic gender inequalities that have plagued our society. Men, compared to women, are seen as appealing and attractive at 60, 65 and 70, not necessarily because of their looks but for the fact that they have reached their career peeks by that time and are often earning the most they have in their lifetime.
There have been a couple of things I have noticed even in my life that have kind of stuck with me concerning ageism. Because I have very fair skin, I do not tan, I burn. But, being like most girls, I try to get darker when I’m on vacation and during the summer. My mother would always tell me never to suntan because it will ruin my skin later in life. Everybody knows the fact that the sun is damaging and will result in wrinkles but it doesn’t seem to bother anybody because there’s this understanding that “no one is looking at me anyway at that age so what he hell!”
