I’ve been writing about ageism for decades – even before I knew there was a term for it.
Apparently, I was behind the curve. Ageism was coined in 1969. Back then yours truly was nineteen. I don’t remember being ageist. Maybe I was. I thought people were wonderful or idiots for whatever reasons. The reasons weren’t based on age. My heroes and villains were young and old.
When I was forty-eight or so someone sent me an email (I had a blog about Baby Boomers). A fellow was in the advertising business and said he was fired because he was fifty. I scoffed. Surely he was fired because he was an idiot.
Then I turned fifty.
That was over twenty years ago.
Recently I stumbled upon a post on Linked-In:
Saeed Zaman
VP, Head of Digital Innovation & Integrated Media
I have been getting a lot of messages from people implying that #age has anything to do with anything. I am 42 and will be 43 in December – there, I said it. Which #apparently means I am not up to the #fake and beyond #superficial standards of our #industry (and other industries) obsessed with #Youth and #PopCulture. I don’t care if you’re in your 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s or beyond. Just like I don’t care if you’re in your 20s, 30s or 40s. If you’re #smart, #intelligent and can make sense of your surroundings with a highly #rational and #logical point of view, I’m your biggest fan and you’re most definitely part of my #team. That’s it. Beyond that, I really don’t give a $#%€!
Golly, gee … he’s only a baby!
(Whoops! Am I showing my reverse-ageism?)
Over forty and you’re through. If this trend holds, by 2030 all ad agencies will be staffed by five-to-eleven-year-olds.
Because once you’re twelve, you’re through.
