Ageism refers to discrimination or prejudice directed at a person or a group based on age. In the words of Susan Krauss Whitbourne (2014), ageism can take a variety of forms, including stereotypical attitudes, prejudicial behaviors, and institutional practices. The television series, Dexter , constitutes excellent examples of the phenomenon. In particular, the third episode of the sixth series – Smokey and the Bandit – contains the following cases, the assumption that a 70-year old cannot commit murder, young men cannot be at Golf Island and the idea that children cannot be at the mechanic shop. The three iconic scenes are a perfect illustration of the concept of ageism.
The first example involves a conversation between Dexter and Harry Morgan. The scene involves Dexter noticing a pattern of murders previously noted in the 1980s named the Tooth-Fairy. His theory for the investigation is that the perpetrator is the same one who committed the murder. Harry Morgan dismisses the claim citing that the person could be at least 70 years old. In part, this is assuming that people aged 70 or above cannot commit such types of crime.
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The second example occurs in the golf scene involving a conversation between Dexter and an older man. The old person asks him, “what is a young man like you doing in golf island?” This qualifies as ageism because the older person assumes golf is a sport reserved for the elderly only. What makes the scene even more prejudicial based on age is that all the golfers are older adults. The final example occurs in a conversation between Dexter and a mechanic known as Brother Sam. The scene occurs in a garage where Brother Sam tells Dexter to bring his presumed two-year-old son to the car garage on Sunday. Dexter gives the kind of attitude suggesting that 2-year old kids are not supposed to be at the garage despite Brother Sam asserting that the place is child-friendly.
Reference
Whitbourne, S. K. (2010). Adult Development and Aging: Biopsychosocial Perspectives . John Wiley & Sons.
