CARP: People say that ageism is the last bastion of socially acceptable discrimination; do you think that’s true?

Z.A: It’s not socially acceptable to me! But I guess it is true to a certain extent… It certainly seems to offent fewer people than sexism or racism are right now. But I remember when people had difficulty identifying what sexism was. Feminists were on the move against sexism, but some people still couldn’t identify it! They just thought that things were as they should be, they saw nothing wrong. And they thought we [feminists] were fanatics! That seems to be where we are with ageism. You could point out ageist words or actions and many people would fail to see anything wrong. It’s still at the point where many people don’t recognize it.

CARP: Who do you think is the worst offender when it comes to perpetuating ageist stereotypes, the advertising industry, the media, the old boy’s club, everyone? What do you think is the best way to eliminate ageism?

Z.A.” Well that’s a tough call, for instance, the advertising industry claim they don’t dictate social norms but that they “reflect” society’s values. If they are getting their cues from us, we must be pretty bad! But there are some ads that are making fun of ageism in helpful ways, by making light of it. I guess the media does perpetuate negative stereotypes of aging though, but perhaps I am too when I say things like “I can say what I want, I’m old… Because really, what are they going to do, shoot me?”

The best way to eliminate ageism is probably for older people to lead by example and keep living their lives, demonstrating their abilities. Just be ok with who you are, don’t try and be 18 but don’t try to be Ma Perkins either. Just be yourself, look the best you can for your age, be comfortable in your own skin, bring your point of view into the mix and remember we have what youth do not: experience.

What do you think is beautiful/graceful about ageing?

Z.A. Ahhhhh. Comfort… The comfort of having survived it. When I was younger, I remember constantly being embarrassed, anxious, nervous and self-conscious. I was always concerned with the way I would be perceived and worried I would elicit a negative response from someone.

Now I realize that sometimes some things just need to be said, politely, of course, but sometimes it requires confidence and self-assuredness to sort through what is important.

CARP: There is a lot of talk now about how the advertising and marketing worlds are being forced to take notice of older people because of the aging boomers and the spending power they harness. Do you think that will be enough to eradicate ageism or do you think we need to consider different measures like a special anti-ageism task forces or imposing sanctions on ageist broadcasters?

Well, having spent a little bit of time in government, I can’t say that I am a big fan of task forces. You get committees and policy statements that people eventually just tend to ignore and them and they are generally so vague you could run a truck through them! Sure, I think spending power is one thing, but there’s also the fact that we’re not going away. Years ago, it seemed like older people’s issues took a back seat. But now it seems that more of us express our views, lobby for change… We’re saying “what about us?” and we are comfortable asking for things. We are not asking for special consideration and saying “woe is me” we are saying “we have spent our lives contributing to this country and we feel the following taxation initiatives are unfair.” You know, nowadays people start their lives again at 60, they have a whole new career, they are still active. You really can’t afford to omit them from the process.