To find this ad horribly patronising

[StandingLampTassles]

Don't know if anyone's heard this on the radio - it's about getting people to test the smoke alarms of elderly people they may know

It goes something like "Ethel's 76, she can knit for England and bakes the most amazing cakes (so not an old person stereotype at all then) but she's not so good at checking her smoke alarms, so I do it for her, while she fixes the icing on my cake...again (ha. ha)"

It smacks of some 26 year old copywriter trying to be all complimentary to older people, but has the complete opposite effect and it makes me mad. Why is it ok to patronise one group of people in this way? If it was, for example, women "Jenny's great at doing eyeliner flicks and making tagines for dinner parties, but she needs a bit of help checking the brakes on her car" we'd all be annoyed. I'm not saying it isn't a good idea to encourage people to help the elderly in this way, but less of the cakes and knitting, I think

YANBU.

I agree it sounds like a youngster who has no idea.

My parents are 69 and Mum aspires to be a silver surfer, I'm just helping them pick out a pc to suit them. And Dad is well able to sort out fire alarms, and no end of other stuff.

Sounds very patronising.

My friends. 70 year old mum has an iPad, iPhone and kindle. She goes on safari, does lots of walking and did a charity abseil

My 82 year old nan is on fb to keep in touch with all her grand kids and hobby groups. She gives talks on her hobby in community groups too

Neither are much into baking or other old lady stuff afaik!

YANBU. I remember my mother being at something with similar aged people, 70+, and being given a free handout- can't remember what but computer related- and told they could give it to their grandchildren. They soon put him right and said that actually they would use it themselves.
If a 76yr old can manage complex icing of course they can check a smoke alarm.

How would you suggest such an ad should be worded?

(I'm not suggesting I agree with the original, but if you criticise, it is always good to come up with an alternative and see how others feel about it.)

We had a similar campaign on local radio here, but the focus was simply on the fact that most smoke alarms require you to stand on a chair to check them which is not recommended for a lot of elderly people who aren't that mobile. I'm sure there are plenty of people who are able to run marathons in their dotage, but there are also plenty who struggle with mobility problems and worry about falling and not having anyone around to help. Are you sure the ad isn't aimed at younger people who may be visiting elderly friends or relatives and reminding them that checking smoke alarms is a job they could do in seconds which could save someone's life?

My 74 year old father is about to set off and drive half way round Australia in a camper he converted himself, he services the car and does many things. My sister checks his smoke detectors because his balance is shocking on a ladder and he is frightened he will fall off.

The ad isn't aimed at Australian travelling, ipad owning old people though, is it. It's aimed at the neighbours of people like Ethel, of which there are lots.

Are you sure the ad isn't aimed at younger people who may be visiting elderly friends or relatives and reminding them that checking smoke alarms is a job they could do in seconds which could save someone's life?

This sounds plausible. It does sound as if the stereotyping is almost on purpose.

I would find it hard to word an add. aimed at reminding folk to look out for the frailer members of an age group without saying the obvious - ie that some are less able than others.

haven't heard the ad but 70s is clearly younger than the copy writers understand. Their own parents are probably late forties to fifties.

Its a tricky one. It's not aimed at fit mobile older people but those who aren't so mobile. There's a correlation between age and being wobbly on a ladder so they do have to mention age, I'd have thought

The boring version would be:

"If you know someone who finds it difficult to use a ladder, please check their smoke alarm for them"

I agree about the cakes and knitting OP.

Zoe

I agree. There's "old" (statistically), which might be 76, but there's "Old, Old" who are more disadvantaged and invisible in our society. Actually that's potentially 2 generations of old people being lumped into one stereotype

Plus the act that lots of young people have taken up knitting- I go to a very trendy knitting shop- and they ice cakes, lots have businesses doing just that. Maybe they could have said that Ethel was proficient on the computer and had just got back from crossing Canada, but was wobbly stnding on a chair.

Perhaps they are simply asking those of us who are younger to make sure that the elderly we know get their smoke alarms checked??

How anyone can be bothered to turn such a well meaning message into anything awful is beyond me!

I haven't heard this advert but I can just imagine what it sounds like to both young and old listeners!

In defence of young copywriters (I am one!) sometimes when you get a brief there is no other way you can get the brief right without being patronising.

I've written some awful things that I know are bound to get people's backs up but if that's what the client wants you to do then you've not got much choice!

I get what you mean but to be honest if it gets people checking for those who physically can't then great!

We have one here that said x number of people in our county died last year because they didn't have smoke alarms working - think it was 81. Well it could so easily have been 83. Our smoke detectors categorically saved our lives - our house caught fire in the night. So yes, not ideal but hey, it's got me thinking we must check DH's Nan's when we go next week and its got us talking about it, right?

I make cakes and knit but my son has to check my smoke alarm as I cannot reach it.

Ok so it wouldn't be as 'entertaining' but why not just say, "Enid's independent and can do most things for herself, but fact is, now she's getting older, she isn't so great at checking her smoke alarms, so why not offer to do it for her? She might even make you a cup of tea (and promises not to bang on about the war)."

I don't think older people would object to the truth that they may be shakier, memory failing etc. better than all this 'bakes for England' guff

Standing

But you are just substituting negative stereotypes there

Hugless

Some of us on here are old enough to have parents who are 76, believe it or not

Some of us are old enough to have both parents passed. My mother died with a fag in her hand, so a smoke alarm would not have made any difference to her.

My parents are in their mid 70s and although mobile, need reminding about things like security and smoke alarms. They try but struggle with technology. They aren't keen on the 'knitting' stereotypes, but at the same time, they admit they are more tired and find things harder to learn than they used to. So, in fact, they feel they are entitled to find things difficult, and they get annoyed at this new stereotype of people running round in their 70s able to live like 20somethings. They feel that is unrealistic and it's quite normal that they have a slower pace of life now.

So overall, I think it is hard to generalise a whole generation. Perhaps if the ad said 86 instead of 76, it would be less offensive.