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“Old People Are Useless”: Representations of Aging on The Simpsons

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 March 2010

Darren Blakeborough
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Abstract

This article looks at how The Simpsons' representations of aging, considered ageist and stereotypical by some, can be viewed as a positive look at the elderly that attempts to subvert the same stereotypes that it seemingly employs. The Baby Boom cohort is now seen as an attractive economic group, and as they continue their journey through the life cycle, they are drawing increased attention. A current scholarship exists that investigates the ways that the “aged” are seen, catered to, advertised at, seemingly marginalized, and represented in the larger context of the mass media. Relying primarily on the theoretical musings of Frederic Jameson and Linda Hutcheon, the article constructs a bridge that places The Simpsons squarely within a postmodern aesthetic and, using this rubric, shows how the inherent political nature of parodic irony can help to create an inversion of meaning.

Résumé

Le présent article porte sur la façon dont l'émission Les Simpsons illustre le vieillissement, considérée comme de l'âgisme et comme un stéréotype par certains, peut être vue comme un regard positif sur les personnes âgées qui tente de renverser ces mêmes stéréotypes qu'elle semble employer. La génération du baby-boom est maintenant vue comme un groupe économique attrayant et, à mesure que ces personnes avancent en âge, elles attirent de plus en plus l'attention. Une bourse d'études existe actuellement et porte sur la recherche des perceptions face aux «personnes âgées», sur la façon de cibler leurs besoins et de leur présenter des publicités qui leur sont destinées, marginalisée semble-t-il, et représentée dans le contexte plus vaste du média de masse. Fondé principalement sur les idées théoriques de Frederic Jameson et Linda Hutcheon, un pont est construit et place Les Simpsons directement dans une situation d'esthétique postmoderne et, à l'aide de cette rubrique, démontre comment la nature politique inhérente de la parodie ironique peut aider à inverser la signification.

Keywords

vieillissementreprésentationsLes SimpsonsironieparodiepostmodernismeagingrepresentationsThe Simpsonsironyparodypostmodernism
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 27 , Issue 1 , Spring/Printemps 2008 , pp. 57 - 67
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 2008

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