In media we are constantly presented with stereotypes. Some of these stereotypes, for one reason or another become particularly popular and endure throughout time. One such stereotype is that old men are grumpy, tough and nostalgic. For the sake of simplicity, I will refer to this as the 'grumpy old man' phenomenon.
This is really just an introduction to the ideas that are explored on my three character posts on this blog. The stereotype under discussion is one of such strength and popularity that people ranging from young children to even the elderly themselves believe it to some extent. The extent to which we have been exposed to the grumpy old man stereotype and bombarded with it has caused it to take hold in society - not a great thing for old men.
What is perhaps devastating with a stereotype of this scale is the impact it has on the subjects. There was a time when you wouldn't dare disrespect an elderly man - in the wisdom hierarchy he ruled supreme. However something changed at some point which led this assumed respect to be disregarded. The fact is, many people genuinely believe all old men are this way.
I hope this will become clearer with examples. My other other three posts are dedicated to both proving the stereotype is common and also showing examples of contradictions to it. Please check them out.
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