There are many stereotypes or general representations of age in the media. This is mainly in moving-image media, but some examples can also be found in print-text based media.
Although most examples of stereotypes of age in the modern world of media are not meant to be offensive and are actually meant to go against the actual stereotype, they are still used and therefore are not eliminated from society. An example of this is The Inbetweeners movie and TV show. It clearly isn't intending to bash all young people and make them out to be like the characters on the show. However, some people may still be disappointed at the negative representation of young people. The characters in the show are mainly scruffy, extremely sexually motivated and all do general 'young male things'. This is evident in the TV series when Jay talks about his sexual encounters with women all of the time.
Another example from The Inbetweeners is one of the smaller characters, Charlotte. She is presented as a very easy-going young lady. She has been with and slept with lots of men and she is looked upon as the main girl that every boy admires in the school. This stereotypes the fact that young women (and generally all young people) do not want a normal relationship with a visible future and that they just want to have fun.
Older people are represented negatively too. They are often shown as weak, miserable, worn down, victims and sometimes generous. An example of this is Kurt Angle in the WWE. Angle is a former wrestler and now the general manager of the weekly show, Monday Night Raw. Angle is now 48 which is a lot older than most of the other wrestlers on the roster. He wrestled a short time ago and was of course, presented as a threat and a powerful man. However now, he wears a suit, he is very slow and he is weak!
In conclusion, young people are presented as the ones with personality and energy, whereas old people are presented as the opposite.
Although most examples of stereotypes of age in the modern world of media are not meant to be offensive and are actually meant to go against the actual stereotype, they are still used and therefore are not eliminated from society. An example of this is The Inbetweeners movie and TV show. It clearly isn't intending to bash all young people and make them out to be like the characters on the show. However, some people may still be disappointed at the negative representation of young people. The characters in the show are mainly scruffy, extremely sexually motivated and all do general 'young male things'. This is evident in the TV series when Jay talks about his sexual encounters with women all of the time.
Another example from The Inbetweeners is one of the smaller characters, Charlotte. She is presented as a very easy-going young lady. She has been with and slept with lots of men and she is looked upon as the main girl that every boy admires in the school. This stereotypes the fact that young women (and generally all young people) do not want a normal relationship with a visible future and that they just want to have fun.
Older people are represented negatively too. They are often shown as weak, miserable, worn down, victims and sometimes generous. An example of this is Kurt Angle in the WWE. Angle is a former wrestler and now the general manager of the weekly show, Monday Night Raw. Angle is now 48 which is a lot older than most of the other wrestlers on the roster. He wrestled a short time ago and was of course, presented as a threat and a powerful man. However now, he wears a suit, he is very slow and he is weak!
In conclusion, young people are presented as the ones with personality and energy, whereas old people are presented as the opposite.
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