What’s funny to one person is not always funny to another. “Duh!” you say?
Last month’s Ageism Awareness Day event in Oak Park featured Yale’s Dr. Becca Levy as keynote speaker. As part of Action Community Engagement (ACE), Levy is currently leading a research project to help identify, educate about, and reduce ageism in Oak Park.
Many of the 90 or so Oak Park participants in this study will be developing and implementing various projects around town, projects like intergenerational gardening or an outdoor photo exhibit on Harrison Street or a book group or advocating with the Oak Park Health Department that ageism is a public health issue.
I am currently working with a small group of Oak Parkers (and Levy) on a program about non-ageist humor. We’re planning a public event at The ComedyPlex in downtown Oak Park on Monday, Dec. 8, from 6 to 8 p.m. Did you ever want to do stand-up? Stop on by and tell a non-ageist joke!
There’s a thin line between really funny and downright offensive, and oftentimes that line is blurry. This is a very subjective topic.
Ageist humor is usually about someone, not shared with them. It can be punching down against a socially devalued group or reinforcing fixed stereotypes about capabilities and worth. For example:
Infantilizing older adults: “Did you remember your diaper today?” “Let’s get Grandma a ‘baby on board’ sign.” Treats older adults like children; strips competence and dignity.
“Tech Clueless” tropes: “Don’t let Grandpa near the email — he’ll break the internet!” “Older people and technology are like oil and water.” Reinforces a stereotype that blocks learning and inclusion.
Romantic/sexual invisibility: “Older people flirting? Gross.” “No one wants to see old folks kissing — think of the children!” Dehumanizes by denying full emotional and romantic lives.
Workplace/competency: “He’s been here so long, his first computer was a stone tablet.” “We can’t let the fossils handle the presentation.” Assumes older = obsolete.
Targeting Younger People (Ageism isn’t only about older adults): “What do kids know? They haven’t lived.” “Gen Z is made of snowflakes.” “You’re too young to have real problems.” Dismisses younger people’s credibility and experiences.
Non-ageist humor doesn’t rely on stereotypes about age. It doesn’t demean people based on being “too young” or “too old.” It paints all ages as capable, valid, and fully human and it makes fun with people, not at them. Non-ageist humor can empower us rather than make us feel ashamed.
Please note, it is important that we are able to laugh at ourselves and to appreciate the role of humility. Self-directed humor can feel empowering for some (“I earned these wrinkles!”) and can feel like internalized bias to others.
I’ve been thinking about a humor spectrum, with slapstick at one end and a cerebral play-on-words toward the other end. Ah yes, Moe, Curly and Larry, those 3 Stooges, who could ever forget them? Question: Why did the scarecrow get an award? Answer: She was out standing in her field.
Studies show that children absorb ageist norms as early as 3 years. This comes mostly from media, observing adults and the language around them. For example, cartoons where older characters are grumpy or clueless, or adults joking “I guess I’m having a senior moment!” or birthday milestone language: “29 again!” (older = bad).
Yes, non-ageist humor deserves more public discussion. So let’s get together on Monday, Dec. 8, 6-8 p.m. at ComedyPlex.
