“Are You Not Entertained!?”
Partying is a term strongly tied to a younger generation of teens and early twenties, because they live in a time of freedom with no responsibilities or family to support. Something that isn't heard of everyday is old people partying their hearts out equally as a young person. Old people did party though in a Boost mobile phone advertisement in 2005. A lady talks about how she texted some old friends on her Boost mobile and they decided to go to a party. The party in the background has old people living it up, and dancing sexually by getting low, and trying to raise the roof to banging punk music. All the while the lady is talking like a valley girl from the eighties. The ad sadly makes fun of the incompetency of old people, by showing them trying to do similar things a younger generation does. Moreover, the scene displayed is still out of date and the color of the ad is black and white vintage, suggesting this older generation's efforts to fit in are pointless. Though many commercials starring old people are humorous and fun, this Boost commercial is goes too far, representing a sick, disrespectful mockery, towards old people.
Old
people deserve more respect in advertising. Elders grew up in a time
when morals held value. The mobile phone commercial and many more ads
today degrade old people, and encourage a younger generation to be
disrespectful to their elders. A journalist from Slate Magazine,
describes how advertisers justify making offense in their
ads, by saying there already is an open mockery towards elders, their
ads were just critiquing what's been mocked.
This is like a child telling the parent that he or she didn't start
the hitting, so and so did. Because someone jumps off the cliff, it's
okay for others to do the same? No matter who did it first, there are
still consequences for following and mimicking a bad trend.
Repetitively showing gross images and using provocative words toward
old people, is disrespectful and immature. This trend, needs to be
reevaluated to show more respect to elders in advertising.
Assumptions
widely excepted about old people need to be reconsidered. So many
myths
about old people
are false stereotypes. One myth is about the innocence and
vulnerability that old
people possess.
Elders may seem sweet or not up to date but they can say or do
anything and get away
with it. Some
famous people capitalized on this publicly. Bill Cosby, Betty White,
Bob Hope, and Mickey Rooney all were or are excellent comedians into
an old age. They say things so suddenly with all seriousness and
then throw in a joke at the end. An example is when Bill Cosby said
“A word to the wise ain't necessary, it's the stupid ones that need
advice” (Cosby).
Old people are funny, some times shocking, and often, as Betty White seems to present, old people are the ones making fun of old people the most. Many old people are quick tongued, sweet but vicious. They're not always innocent or vulnerable, but powerful people who can give so much to the world if they're heard.
Many
think that the older population, are the people who are incapable or
out of date. Professors of sociology who wrote the book, “The
Politics of Aging” said, “Since the elderly are seen as past their prime as productive
employees and consumers, they are no longer important enough to
dramatic social life to merit major
dramatic roles or be used as positive role models in advertisements"
(Powell; Williamson, par 12). Many
elderly are still able to live on their own and take care of
themselves. Their prime may have
passed, but that doesn't mean elderly can't be a positive role model
in advertising. Take Betty White for instances, she has been acting
all her life and according to her
biography refuses to retire even though
she is almost ninety-two. She is considered a role model to every age
group. In many movies and ads Betty White stars in, she practically debunked the myths placed on old people, asking through her humor
just as the gladiator did, “Are you not entertained. Is this not
why you are here?” to see an old fashioned silly person who can't
keep up with the times. Betty White has kept up with the times and is
capable of what many didn't think was possible.
Some people say that all humorous ads that include old people are offensive and disrespectful. “Slate Magazine” backs this up by describing commercials targeting elders, and what's really being said about them in the humorous advertisements: "Oh, stop feeling guilty and just admit it: Old people are funny! Laugh, target demo, laugh at your feeble, doddering elders!" (Walker, par 7). The Boost mobile phone ad is a perfect example of this. Sometimes joking around to get a laugh can be harmful and taken too far. Other ads, however, such as the ones Betty White starred in, show that not all ads with elders are bad or offensive, but can be entertaining and make people laugh at themselves.
Each
viewer interprets what they think is bad or good. In the “Gladiator”
movie, people really were entertained by the slaughter of humans and
animals, while many today can hardly believe how sick Rome's idea of
entertainment was. Someone's idea of funny is another person's idea
of vulgar. It takes brave people willing to point out the truth in
bad publicity. Bill Cosby sums this it up perfectly: “Anyone
should be able to say on stage what they want. But those who have
knowledge, do understand that certain things on stage can be abused
and misused. And if such topics are used just for laughter, the humor
will not stand the test of time.”
When
the next generation of old people come, maybe the mobile phone
advertisement will seem a little more realistic, because young life
today is so different from the one our grandparents witnessed. Until
then, the media needs to reevaluate the status of today's old
people, showing respect to their cultures and their values.
Walker, Rob “The Return of Hilarious
Old People” Slate Magazine, 26 May 2003,
Web 13 Nov.
2013
Cosby Bill, “Quotes,” Good Reads,
ND, Web 19 Nov. 2013
Powell; Williamson, “How Does
Hollywood Handle Ageism?” N D, Media&Values Web 11 Nov. 2013
White, Betty, “Biography,”
Bio. true story, ND, Web, 19 Nov. 2013
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