Big Brother’s stereotypes and prejudices towards older people

“How do you plan to participate, ridiculous old woman, with purple hair?”

This is how the husband reacted Mónica Ramos (77), the oldest contestant to ever participate in Big Brother , learning that his wife would be one of the 18 members of the reality show. Monique was not afraid. The color of her hair has not changed either. With her energetic and jovial attitude, she had already faced prejudice related to her age.

Things in the so-called “most famous house in the world” went well at first. The participants were getting to know each other and Mónica won the sympathy of several classmates. This was short-lived, until competitors had to ration food after a failed grocery test.

With famine came conflict. One of the candidates, Jorge Aldoney (27), raised his voice to express his apparent concern in front of the hosts, Diana Bolocco and Julio César Rodríguez. “This is not a situation for an elderly person. I tell her from the bottom of my heart and looking her in the eye,” Aldoney said, addressing Mónica but also including Francisco Arenas (61), the program’s second-oldest participant, in his complaint.

Monica thanked her for her concern, but said she felt fine, was happy and was enjoying the experience at home. The facilitators also called for calm: the production was aware and aware of the health of all participants , especially the elderly. It was useless: Jorge maintained his position in the following days: “It’s not a retirement home”, “The tests are not made for the elderly”.

Jorge’s comments are an example of how older people suffer daily stereotypes, prejudices and discrimination by the rest of society. It is common for people to have a negative image of old age, associating it with deterioration, unproductivity and vulnerability. This is reflected in the numbers.

According to a study prepared by the Catholic University, at least one 18% of Chilean men and women see the elderly as a burden for society, being one of the countries that most accepts this type of prejudice.

“What we see in this program explains the aging look we have as a society” explains Sara Caro, academic in social work at the Catholic University and researcher at the Observatory on Aging.

He “Ageism” is a term used to encompass prejudice that arise when age is used to categorize and divide people according to attributes that can generate unfair situations, damages and disadvantages. According to a United Nations report, ageist attitudes impoverish the physical and mental health of older adults in addition to reducing their quality of life.

“This naturalization that because you’re old there are things you can do and things you can’t do is very striking. Also that the rest of society can decide for the elderly and above all, make judgments such as whether or not this program is suitable for a person of this age” say dear.

These speeches, explains the expert, are very often camouflaged under a tone of concern, but they can also be sincere. “On the face of it, it may not look like discrimination, or it may not look like hostile treatment because it’s trying to disguise itself as benevolence,” he says. “Like all prejudices, they operate at a very unconscious level” .

As the days passed, Jorge’s tone changed. He not only said he would continue to vote for Monica in the playoffs, but also that it could become a “burden” for the members of the house. The current Mr. Chili was supported by the fact that she had been withdrawn from certain tests due to her problem with diabetes and hypertension.

Monica noticed this tension and decided to approach Jorge to talk. He was greeted with a brutally honest response. “What if tomorrow we lose because you can’t pass the test? We are all going to lose. All. You are going to risk having half the budget and starving us,” he told her. “We are all in the same fight,” replied Mónica, very touched. “I didn’t say I wasn’t going to test, I’m going to try. Like I told Big Brother, I’m going to try everything in my power. I’m here for a reason, I’m showing people my age that they can keep up” he added.

This scene did not go unnoticed for one of the panelists who analyzes the program every evening with the hosts. Nicolás Quesille, journalist and producer of one of the most emblematic reality shows on Chilean television, said he felt, for the first time, anguished before something he witnessed in a program of these characteristics. “It shows something very deep. I hope it doesn’t reflect what young people think of older adults,” he said live.

The producer explained to Paula that in these types of shows like Big Brother, the popularity and the capacity for action of the candidates are measured, not their physical abilities. “People look at that experience and see who best represents them,” he says. “From this point of view, Mónica represents a part of society – which statistically represents half of the viewers – who watch the program on open television. Many people saw his wisdom, his calm and his ability to listen “ add.

Quesille points out that it is entirely valid for a contestant to guarantee another person that they will vote for them, regardless of the reasons. “It’s part of the game,” he says. The problem in this case was Jorge’s attitude in giving his arguments. “He didn’t shout or use swear words. It’s about making those who are older feel like leftovers , to make them feel that they are no longer in the game of the world of young people”, he adds. “It teaches us a lot about how to understand older people. You have to know how to talk to them, you have to know how to listen to them. He lacked the empathy necessary to understand that the person opposite felt discriminated ”.

“It shows something very deep. Hopefully that doesn’t reflect what young people think of older adults.”

Jorge’s words had an effect on Monica, who entered the confessional to express doubts about her participation in the reality show. “It got me thinking when I thought: ‘What the hell am I doing here?’ compete with young people,” he said. But later, he confirmed his happiness to be there. “Never, with my age, would I have thought I would have this gift of experiencing such a beautiful game, surrounded by young people,” he concluded.

He also delivered a key message: “I would teach them to listen, because they don’t know how. And that would also teach them to tolerate,” he said.

Chile and the world are aging rapidly. The figures even exceed all forecasts: In 2050, people over 60 will reach 32% of the population of our country, against 20% currently. Growth is keeping pace with the global pace, showing that by mid-century the percentage of people over 60 will double from 11% to 22%, according to data from the World Health Organization. health.

It’s fundamental think of a society for all ages where these prejudices are more and more distant, say dear. “It is very important that we open ourselves up to living in an age-diverse society. We must create intergenerational spaces that allow dialogue and exchange,” he says.

For this, it is essential to start treating older people with dignity and respect. “As Mónica rightly says, we, the younger generations, do not have the ability to listen to others, being able to have differences of opinion and being able to share regardless of our age.