Posted on 03/04/2017 10:57:17 AM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Seniors suffer the consequences of the way they are portrayed in the movies
WASHINGTON, DC, Mar 3 – Hollywood’s entertainment elite appears to be increasingly dismissive of America’s aging population, according to a new study by Humana and the University of Southern California.
“I came across the research and then it hit me: perhaps all of their incessant whining over the election of President Donald Trump has roots in the vanity that oftentimes goes hand-in-hand with being a so-called star. The fact is that many of the movies produced in Tinseltown in recent years have indeed been increasingly disdainful of senior citizens. They seem to use scripts that present prejudicial stereotypes, wittingly or unwittingly promoting ageism. The Humana-USC researchers noted that many of the 60-plus characters in films these days are described with downright mean-spirited disdain and that can be dangerous,” says Dan Weber, president of the Association of Mature American Citizens.
The research report, in fact, states that over the past several years, six of the 14 films that featured a leading or supporting aging character contained “ageist comments.” Examples of these comments include such hurtful words as “mentally feeble, sick old ladies” and “…just sit here and let Alzheimer’s run its course.” Thus, the researchers concluded that even critically acclaimed films misrepresent what it means to be a senior citizen.
One of the most prominent Trump-bashers in Hollywood is Meryl Streep who has not missed an opportunity to “whine” about him, notes Weber. In one of her tirades, she implied that the president was a bully and said: “this instinct to humiliate, when it’s modeled by someone in the public platform, by someone powerful, it filters down into everybody’s life, ’cause it kind of gives permission for other people to do the same thing. Disrespect invites disrespect. Violence incites violence. And when the powerful use their position to bully others, we all lose.”
Ironically, the Humana-USC research shows that Hollywood’s “instinct to humiliate” the elderly in the movies has serious consequences, too, says Weber. “And I don’t mean that it will reduce box-office revenues, which it should. I mean that it negatively impacts the lives of our senior citizens.”
As Dr. Yolangel Hernandez Suarez, VP and chief medical officer at Humana, put it in commenting on the study: “Clearly, there’s more work to be done before we can say precisely how inaccurate media portrayals impact self-image in seniors, from their sense of being valued to their sense of optimism, but what really concerns me as a physician is how a diminished sense of self-worth can, in turn, impact a senior’s health. In our survey, we showed that aging Americans who report feeling more valued in society tend to have more healthy days. At Humana, we believe aging with optimism contributes to health, and that’s why we’re committed to reversing societal perceptions and promoting aging with optimism.”
Weber says that he’s amazed that those who work in the film business seem to think that old age is not something they also face. “Perhaps it has something to do with all those facelifts that are performed each year out there in la-la-land. Boy, do they have another thing coming!”
ABOUT AMAC
The Association of Mature American Citizens [http://www.amac.us] is a vibrant, vital senior advocacy organization that takes its marching orders from its members. We act and speak on their behalf, protecting their interests and offering a practical insight on how to best solve the problems they face today. Live long and make a difference by joining us today at http://amac.us/join-amac.
And yes, this is just another reason to boycott Hollywood.
PING!
Hasn’t Hollywood and our culture always celebrated youth and beauty? Do old people sell cars or beer or anything other than Depends and prescription drugs? What about TV shows with the exception of the Golden Gurls?
Ugh. MUST we quote streep...regardless of the point being made?
‘Been increasingly watching shows from the 50s & early 60s.
Television is good again!
There are a lot on YouTube.
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