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Ageism is rife in society, not just on The Apprentice
UnrealityTV
Posts: 1,399 Forum Member
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I can understand the minor outcry about ageism on the last couple of tasks on TA. But ageism isn't just there on the Apprentice, it's rife throughout contemporary society.
In my considerable experience of the over 50s, in every one of them there's their 20 year old self just busting to get out again, just tempered with a lot more life experience - so they use their heads a lot more and so are less inclined to take stupid risks and act like a prat.
Everything in contemporary society is geared towards how great young people are. Young, 'cool', 'edgy', 'fashionable' and so on. Yet those who are older - and therefore have a lot more life experience and hard-earned wisdom - are bizarrely somehow seen as 'less good', less employable and so on.
What so many younger people ignore is that ever single over 50 was in their 20s once. And we all did EXACTLY the same things as you do now. But you of course think you're the first people to have ever done them (just like we did).
Personally, on last night's episode I think the market research was set up by the producers to be wrong. I bet my backside that the token 'oldies' were brought in by production assistants in their 20s who (as usual, mistakenly) thought "We'll wheel in a few who look like stereotypical 'old people', to get that essential Darby and Joan club ambience across. Because all over 50s are like that."
To which I say "horseshit".
Jason was absolutely right. If I was in the market for online dating, the last thing I'd use is some patronising drivel implying that the 'joys' of champagne, flowers and doing the Daily Telegraph crossword are all a romance needs. Bollocks to that, I'd want something that looked a bit vibrant, fun and recognised that, just because people have a few more years on the clock, it doesn't mean they're somehow a lesser species who can be easily stereotyped.
Experience has a lot to say for it. But it doesn't mean we're all desperately boring, square, dull or, as many youngsters seem to believe, nearly dead.
In my considerable experience of the over 50s, in every one of them there's their 20 year old self just busting to get out again, just tempered with a lot more life experience - so they use their heads a lot more and so are less inclined to take stupid risks and act like a prat.
Everything in contemporary society is geared towards how great young people are. Young, 'cool', 'edgy', 'fashionable' and so on. Yet those who are older - and therefore have a lot more life experience and hard-earned wisdom - are bizarrely somehow seen as 'less good', less employable and so on.
What so many younger people ignore is that ever single over 50 was in their 20s once. And we all did EXACTLY the same things as you do now. But you of course think you're the first people to have ever done them (just like we did).
Personally, on last night's episode I think the market research was set up by the producers to be wrong. I bet my backside that the token 'oldies' were brought in by production assistants in their 20s who (as usual, mistakenly) thought "We'll wheel in a few who look like stereotypical 'old people', to get that essential Darby and Joan club ambience across. Because all over 50s are like that."
To which I say "horseshit".
Jason was absolutely right. If I was in the market for online dating, the last thing I'd use is some patronising drivel implying that the 'joys' of champagne, flowers and doing the Daily Telegraph crossword are all a romance needs. Bollocks to that, I'd want something that looked a bit vibrant, fun and recognised that, just because people have a few more years on the clock, it doesn't mean they're somehow a lesser species who can be easily stereotyped.
Experience has a lot to say for it. But it doesn't mean we're all desperately boring, square, dull or, as many youngsters seem to believe, nearly dead.
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I'm not in that age group but agree with your thoughts on this.
And yet who has the most disposable income of any age group? Those who have high incomes/savings, no mortgage to pay off and frequently are empty nesters whose kids are no longer dependent. The over-50s, in other words.
I dread to think what she will look like then. That hard look will be permanently etched into her face.
Suddenly tradespeople, shop assistants, estate agents, and yes even doctors seem to think the brain has died and start being patronising and talking to you as if you know less than a 6 year old and are deaf!
It's so damn annoying because I am very much alive, do not wear polyester, do not have a perm and every week play football/cricket/the odd game of tennis/badminton in the garden with grandsons [weather permitting!].
Today I have just walked 6 miles and also walked round the town. And also later walked to sons house and back - 40 minutes walk.
I've just finished doing up a 3 bedroomed home from top to bottom and dug the whole garden up to plant up with fruit, flowers and veg....
I get fed up with some attitudes from those who look at me as if I'm a different species. Deep down, I feel in my 20's, [I am an ex mod!], love learning and doing different things. I'm not dynamic, rather a quiet person but the web site [and the lack of insight by the contestants that they don't know that older people are just young people + a few years] stunned me by being so very completely off the mark.
You could be like Katie Wright - 'I let people underestimate me, just so I can blow them out of the water.'
It's amusing to see certain faces change when I actually start talking to them, to see the horror on their face when they realise I am articulate and that my brain operates, and the blank look when it seems possible I may know more about a particular issue than they do!
[Only certain personality types of course, plenty people younger than me are civil and perfectly pleasant so not generalising here].
Who do you think tells advertisers to target the youth market?
Thought it was funny when they started whining 'no-one we know wears cufflinks' - I mean it's not like London's a major financial centre.