------------------------------------------------------------------------
**** WWW.GOANET.ORG *** A N N O U N C E M E N T ****
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Launching Goanet-sports - Dedicated to Sports in Goa and Goans in Sports
Get your free subscription at:
http://lists.goanet.org/listinfo.cgi/goanet-sports-goanet.org
------------------------------------------------------------------------
We have seen claims of stereotyping based on religion being made in some recent
postings. Ignorance is the fertile soil on which prejudice grows. A nice
artilce on Disney and Ageism below + 2 Qs:
1) How does the world stereotype 'pao wallahs' resident in the U.S.?
2) Are U.S. based 'maka paos' or 'macs', victims or beneficiaries of the brand
halo called AMERICA?
The ageism note:
By Tim Henderson
"Old people," said the Xer woman waiting ahead of me in a recent and
interminable airport security queue. A roll of the eyes finished her scornful
take on the senior gent being thoroughly questioned by TSA staff.
I disagree with her sentiment, but maybe she grew up watching Disney flicks.
Seems a study from Brigham Young U smarties uncovered senior stereotypes among
Disney's animated characters. Of 90 senior characters in 34 Disney movies, BYU
researchers say, 58% are positive. But 42% are negative portrayals, including
anger, senility, missing teeth, creaking voices and hunched postures. Most were
villains.
BYU researchers worry that it's often impressionable youngsters viewing the
flicks. Others, including me, have a more restrained response. That seniors are
stereotyped by pop culture is little surprise. So too are many others,
including caveman guys, dumb blondes, smart-aleck kids, shiftless repairmen,
condescending store clerks and dimwitted bosses. Still, I'm not inclined to say
those stereotypes or the seniors in Snow White and Cinderella are forever
twisting viewers' brains.
Responsible companies and compassionate consumers know the real villain is
ageism. Like all prejudice, it finds fertile ground in ignorance. It's
real-life, intergenerational activities like Disney grandparenting vacations,
senior and Millennial tutors and, later in life, mixing it up in the workplace
and on college campuses that destroy or affirm stereotypes. Hopefully, it's
the former, positive impressions that consumers draw on for a lifetime.
