The Great American Grandma Search
From Kavan: This GE promotion is “seeking a big-hearted, age-defying, lives-life-to-the-fullest and brings-out-the-best-in-everyone kind of Grandma. A Grandma who can make us laugh and doesn’t need a cookbook to whip up hundreds of delicious recipes. A Grandma who believes in tradition but is anything but traditional. Our type of Grandma understands that culture is passed on through shared moments and traditions, and won’t take “no” for an answer when asking you if you’re hungry.”
It’s a good thing GE adds the qualifier “Not Just Any Grandma,” because I can thank of many “grandmas,” myself included, who are non-traditional, know when to take ‘no’ for an answer, and don’t live to cook. Not to mention that living life to the fullest mean embracing age, not “defying” it. Ageist, sexist, and deeply condescending.
01/18/19
Dating across age gaps
A 20-something woman activist I follow on social media for her politics recently wrote a shaming post about the Tinder profile of an “older” man (she didn’t give his age) that she saw.
“He says: age is just a number.
He means: I prey on younger women.”
I’m uncomfortable with older men actively seeking to date younger women primarily or exclusively, but I also think it’s ageist to assume that adults at an older age are automatically predators if they are open to dating across all ages. I’m 99% certain she wouldn’t have shamed an older woman for writing the same message on her Tinder profile.
Ageist, sexist, both or neither?
I like the way you lay this out and agree that her position is both ageist and sexist. Although age is not just a number, unless you’re looking to start a family or into extreme sports, age has little to do with shared interests or compatibility. Because we live under patriarchy, men are more likely to have more power and to abuse it, but people are predators because they’re predators, not because they’re over a certain age.
01/17/19
Age Shaming or Friendly Fun?
Woke up to this in my neighborhood. Maybe one sign would’ve been amusing, but 30 or more!? Some with black balloons attached. Greg has a good sense of humor.
—Rich from the Don’t Act Your Age podcast
Maybe there are 50 of ‘em! The excess is what makes this birthday display funny, and it doesn’t feel ageist to me, maybe because the exclamation points and birthday cakes convey good cheer and the black balloons aren’t visible. Perhaps our internalized ageism makes it hard to believe that turning 50 is worth celebrating in such an exuberant and public manner.
01/12/19