Manitoba seniors want a little less Bree, a little more Matlock on TVWINNIPEG (CP) — Television could use a little less Bree and a lot more Matlock, says the head of the Manitoba Society of Seniors.
Laurie Hunter told a symposium on aging at the University of Manitoba on Monday that shows such as Matlock, which starred Andy Griffith as a down-home attorney, portray seniors as vibrant and intelligent.
But Hunter criticized hits shows such as Desperate Housewives — in which a character named Bree agrees to sado-masochistic sex to placate a straying husband — as downright offensive.
She also called it unrealistic that none of the main doctors on the hospital hit ER are seniors.
“Angela Lansbury was a smart, beautiful writer in Murder, She Wrote,” said Hunter. “The Golden Girls were revolutionary and dealt with the fact that seniors still want intimacy.
“But there’s little else (on TV) for seniors.”
She said the medium simply doesn’t represent all of society in its rush to cater to the youth market.
“Seniors are almost non-existent in network television today,” Hunter said. “When they do appear, they’re very often stereotyped as a senior who is cranky, feeble and needs looking after.”
Given that the 65-plus crowd is growing each year, television networks should start considering their entertainment needs more often, she said.
In 2001, there were 156,415 Manitobans who were over 65 years of age.
“That’s 14 per cent of the population. And it is going to get larger because that’s where we’re all going.”
But Hunter said at least there’s one bright note — seniors rarely appear on reality TV.
“Thank heavens for that,” said Hunter.
― Huk-L, Tuesday, 3 May 2005 14:39 (twenty years ago)
seven years pass...