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Now, if it were an article discussing jokes about certain races or mocking gender, I'm pretty certain these people getting all upset over old people jibes would be the same ones crying about P.C. run amok and people needing to lighten up.
Partly because no one, it seems, is ever “called out” for ageism – I can’t think of one public figure who has been “cancelled” for mocking the aged – I persuaded myself that, as an older person, I was being hypersensitive. But then, this past weekend, on the Weekend Update segment, the cast member Micheal Che told a series of jokes about a report that a Chinese woman in her 60s had given birth. The labor, Che noted, had involved an unusual amount of “friction” and (I may be slightly misquoting here) the delivery had been like “removing a penny from a wad of chewing gum”. Moreover, he added, the new mother could nurse simply by leaning over the crib. The audience laughed. I winced. My husband said: “Ouch.”
I tried to think of another demographic – Asians? African Americans? Women? Members of the LGBT community? – who would have been the object of humor quite so cruel, so barbed, so personal. But it’s not only in the sphere of comedy, and on network TV, that the old are discussed in ways that would never be tolerated by (or about) another group.
It’s only a matter of time until some useless boomer puts it on a T-shirt and this meme gets co-opted and turned around on them. Until then I just say: OK gamer!
I tried to think of another demographic – Asians? African Americans? Women? Members of the LGBT community? – who would have been the object of humor quite so cruel, so barbed, so personal. But it’s not only in the sphere of comedy, and on network TV, that the old are discussed in ways that would never be tolerated by (or about) another group.
The obese get hammered, more so than any other group. That bothers me more than ageism, even though I’m part of the old group and not the obese group, because I have seen what it does to the soul of the poundage challenged. Let’s face it, some people just enjoy being cruel and they are always going to find themselves a target.
Besides, my experience is that we old tend to sling it equally to the young, only when we do it we act like we are being wise, solemn sages instead of pretending like we are being witty and entertaining.
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Now, if it were an article discussing jokes about certain races or mocking gender, I'm pretty certain these people getting all upset over old people jibes would be the same ones crying about P.C. run amok and people needing to lighten up.
I agree that the Michael Che's joke was pretty raunchy--and bad taste in general, but it did not strike me as ageist.
The thing about making jokes about older people and aging is that we will all be there at some point and everyone is aware of that. So in a way they are making fun of themselves. Everyone ages.
Ageism needs to be addressed in the workplace, where it is a very real problem. The jokes are the least of it.
The obese get hammered, more so than any other group. That bothers me more than ageism, even though I’m part of the old group and not the obese group, because I have seen what it does to the soul of the poundage challenged. Let’s face it, some people just enjoy being cruel and they are always going to find themselves a target.
Besides, my experience is that we old tend to sling it equally to the young, only when we do it we act like we are being wise, solemn sages instead of pretending like we are being witty and entertaining.
I take a bit of an opposite view.
I think ageist insults are stupid since everyone gets old and dies. Life is short and the youth of today will be old and on the way out before too long, surely they will change their perception about intolerance toward the elderly at that point.
On the other hand, virtually no one has to be obese and that outcome typically results from a lazy, uninformed, uncaring, and short sighted attitude toward life that usually revolves around instant gratification. If you don’t even care about your body to the extent you would abuse it to that degree I really have a hard time respecting those people’s opinions on anything else.
Making rude comments about the older generation is nothing new.
Making rude comments about the younger generation is nothing new.
Basically, people will make rude comments about anyone if they can get away with it.
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