Don't Joke About Age

October 21, 2008

Robert E. Pritchard, Professor of Finance
Rowan University

This is not intended to be a political statement! But, I am disturbed and annoyed. I have lost respect for Dave Letterman and the Tonight Show. Why? Because I am offended by Letterman's numerous jokes centering on John McCain's age. Jokes like: "When I think of John McCain, I think of a guy sitting in the park playing checkers; he is old." Laugh! Laugh! I am a senior citizen and, quite frankly, I find jokes about older people to be offensive.

You and I may well believe that John McCain is too old to fulfill the extremely demanding duties of president. And, we certainly have the right to discuss the issue of age when it comes to fulfilling presidential duties. The media also has the right (and perhaps the obligation) to offer in-depth programs that examine the relationship between age and job performance - not only for president but for other positions as well. And, of course, we may express our beliefs pertaining to a candidate's age (or race or religion or national origin or sex) at the ballot box on election day.

We may also believe that John McCain's numerous past injuries (two broken arms, one broken leg, etc.) may interfere with his ability to be president. But, you don't hear jokes like: "When I think of John McCain, I think of a guy walking around in a bunch of casts." Would anyone demean a person who is physically challenged in an attempt to get a few laughs?

Why should the standards for joking about different groups of people be lowered when it comes to older people? Our society puts a high premium on youth. Plastic surgeons know that and really profit from it. Yes, we all want to find the fountain of youth. Yet, our forefathers stipulated that Supreme Court justices be appointed for life. Perhaps they knew more than we do. And, at present, five of our nine Supreme Court Justices are 70 or older; Judge Stevens is 88.

We have entered a very difficult period in our nation's development. Now, more than ever - facing what could be a deep recession - we cannot afford to marginalize any group of people. All of us need to pull together - to work as a team. I am certain that working as a team - a team that includes everyone - we can return to solid economy growth. We will see our property values stabilize and then appreciate, the value of our Individual Retirement Accounts and our 401(k) plans will once again increase, and our standards of living will improve.

Let's not joke about any group - including our older citizens!

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