Placeholder Content Image

Meet the 65-year-old bodybuilder committed to defying stereotypes

<div title="Page 1"> <div> <div> <div title="Page 1"> <div> <div> <div> <div title="Page 1"> <div> <div> <div title="Page 1"> <div> <div> <p>The adage that "age is just a number" could have been written for Jan Herdman, 65. </p> </div> </div> </div> <p>Jan has well and truly shattered the age stereotypes into smithereens by dominating the bodybuilding champions and winning 'Mrs Supranational Australia'. </p> <p>Jan Herdman is not your average 65-year-old. Jan is in fact: 65 years young, she's breaking barriers, shattering stereotypes, and proving that age is merely a number.</p> <p>In a remarkable display of strength, determination, and sheer grit, Jan has just received 1st place in the ICN Australia Bodybuilding Championship (awarded on May 4th 2024) in the over 60s category, along with securing 2nd place in the over 40s category and 3rd place in the ‘Novice Figures’ category.</p> <p>Jan’s triumphs don't end there; she also seized the prestigious title of ‘Mrs Supranational’ in the ‘Mrs of Australia Pageant’, held in Sydney in April 2024.</p> </div> </div> </div> <p>Jan's journey is not just about winning titles; it's about inspiring others to redefine their perceptions of aging. Embarking on her strength training journey to support others, and herself, in defeating age-related illnesses, Jan exemplifies the essence of ageing gracefully and living a fulfilling life at any age.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <p>"I refuse to let age define me," says Jan Herdman. "Every day is an opportunity to challenge myself, push my limits, and inspire others to realise their full potential. Age should never be a barrier to pursuing your dreams."</p> <p>Jan's story is a testament to resilience, perseverance, and the power of the human spirit. Her relentless pursuit of excellence serves as a beacon of inspiration to women and men worldwide, encouraging them to embrace life's challenges with courage and tenacity.</p> <p>Jan actively leans into her credo; Having been through her own chronic health challenges and needing to restart life out on her own, Jan Herdman has become a powerhouse of inspiration and transformation to her fast-growing community.</p> <p>Jan watched her mother become frail and incapable of taking care of herself, and that set Jan off on a mission to change the trajectory of her own future and turn her health and life around. Jan’s story is one of total transformation in all aspects of her life.</p> <p>Jan is now a sought-after commentator on living a life with vitality at any age. Jan is an advocate for strength training as the starting point for a total life transformation to prevent age-related illnesses and mobility issues.</p> <p>Through popular demand Jan has created her own program coined The Ageless MethodTM which captures her proven model of transformation, for all levels at any age.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="page" title="Page 2"> <div class="layoutArea"> <div class="column"> <p>The 12 Week ‘Transformer Program’ has just kicked off on 19th June 2024, and will recommence on 11 September 2024.</p> <p>The 6 Week ‘Kickstarter Program’ starts on 2 July 2024, then 10 September 2024, then 29 October 2024.</p> <p>Jan also offers on demand 1:1 coaching, as needed. More info here across all offerings here: <a href="https://www.ageless-transformations.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ageless-transformations.com</a></p> <p><em>Image credits: Supplied</em></p> <pre> </pre> </div> </div> </div>

Body

Placeholder Content Image

Older women are doing remarkable things – it’s time for the putdowns to end

<p>It’s not easy to claim being an old woman. To start with, how can I be 75 when I feel about 40? And isn’t it shameful to be old when youth is valued? People proudly parrot statements such as, “I’m growing older but not getting old” (meaning, “How terrible to be old!”). I even heard that line quoted approvingly by one of the middle-aged hosts of the recent Australia Day Award ceremony.</p> <p>Then there are shop assistants who serve an old person by asking, “What can I do for you, young lady/man?” (i.e. “I see that you’re old and will mock it by calling you young”). When author Jane Caro <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/this-throwaway-joke-at-the-bakery-was-just-another-example-of-ageism-20230130-p5cgjt.html">wrote about her husband’s angry response to this example of ageism</a> it created quite a Twitter storm. Can’t you take a joke? But, <a href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/tv-commentator-jane-caro-roasted-after-saying-her-husband-suffered-ageism-when-he-was-called-young-man/news-story/98c39b5978498fbb2139268307c75ccf">as Caro replied</a>, “Benign ageism, hostile ageism. One often turns into the other and both make the recipients feel diminished”.</p> <p>Benign ageism applies as much to the stereotyping of young people (wasting their money on smashed avocado), as it does to the old.</p> <p>Ageism is bad enough, but it’s often compounded by sexism. It is humiliating for a boy to be told he’s playing like a girl but even worse for a man expressing doubts or concerns to be called an old woman. The stereotype of the old woman is anxious, dependent, useless, and a burden – if she isn’t a nasty, bitter old witch. Dismissing old women in this way renders them invisible because they are considered of no use to society.</p> <p>Women experience a sense of invisibility from late middle age: being overlooked in shops, ignored in restaurants. People walk into me in the street as though I’m incorporeal. Of course, it can be liberating to be ignored, not to be constantly assessed for one’s looks as young women are, and I try to make as much lemonade as possible from life’s lemons. Nevertheless, I’d prefer not to be completely disregarded.</p> <p>When Jane Fisher and I i<a href="https://research.monash.edu/en/publications/promoting-older-womens-mental-health-insights-from-baby-boomers">nterviewed Baby Boom women</a> (born 1946 to 1964), we found that they wanted to be treated with respect, which doesn’t seem like much to ask. They said that respect includes requiring we all challenge – and refuse to perpetuate – these harmful stereotypes.</p> <p> </p> <figure></figure> <p> </p> <p>Ageist stereotypes reinforce age-based discrimination. An Australian <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28795587/">survey of more than 2000 people</a> aged over 60 found experiences of ageism have an adverse effect on mental health, prompting depression and anxiety.</p> <h2>Challenging stereotypes</h2> <p>My <a href="https://publishing.monash.edu/product/time-of-our-lives/">recent interviews</a> with women from the previous generation, dolefully named the Silent Generation (born before 1946), challenge these stereotypes. In their late seventies, eighties, and nineties, these women are leading fulfilling lives; contributing to their communities and to the wider society.</p> <p>There is Mig Dann, whose PhD was conferred in her early eighties. Her thesis explored memory and trauma through art theory and practice. Exhibitions of her work <a href="https://migdann.com/">are breathtaking</a>.</p> <p>Olive Trevor OAM developed her love of plants as her five children grew up and, in her eighties, was recognised as a world expert in bromeliads.</p> <p>Lester Jones runs an educational coaching business, specialising in people with learning difficulties. She is in her nineties.</p> <p>Jacqueline Dwyer was ANU’s oldest successful postgraduate student when she became a Master of Arts at 90; <a href="https://scholarly.info/book/flanders-in-australia-a-personal-history-of-wool-and-war/">a book about her research</a> was published when she was 92.</p> <p>After a difficult young adulthood as an itinerant worker, Raylee George found her vocation in typesetting. When she was made redundant, an employer who values older people took George on in her seventies as a specialist call-centre operator.</p> <p>As she approaches 80, environmental scientist and climate campaigner Dr Sharron Pfueller continues to set an example of how we should all be living sustainably.</p> <p>After working as a TV make-up artist and in managerial roles, as well as doing voluntary work, Robina Rogan at 76 joined a team that built a boat and rowed it around Port Phillip Bay. In her eighties, she’s still rowing.</p> <p>Dr Miriam Rose Ungunmerr Baumann AM was Senior Australian of the Year in 2021; her life is committed to supporting Indigenous youth and to maintaining bridges that unite Indigenous and non-Indigenous cultures and people. These are just a few examples.</p> <p>It was Ungunmerr Baumann who led me to ponder the contrast between the way in which so many of us (appropriately) pay our respects to First Nations Elders past and present while disrespecting old people in general. As she says to audiences of people in late adulthood, “You are all Elders”.</p> <p> </p> <p>The life stories of these women reveal they endured hardship and grief while displaying resilience and determination. But personal qualities can’t fully account for lives that continue to have meaning. It isn’t enough to tell women to exercise, eat more vegetables, do lots of puzzles, and volunteer at the local op shop. We live in communities and societies in which we are all interdependent.</p> <p>The Baby Boom women demonstrated that their whole life course influenced their experience of ageing, including their mental health. Were they adequately parented? Disadvantaged? Victims of violence? Well nourished in body and mind? Did they have good health? And, crucially, were there people, policies, and a culture that valued and supported them?</p> <h2>A social responsibility</h2> <p>Women may have qualities that help them to live productive and satisfying lives, but they can achieve their potential only in a milieu that enables, rather than inhibits, them.</p> <p>The milieu includes other people (family, friends, workmates, the community), the built environment and social policies. Ageing well is a social responsibility, to be shouldered by everyone – not only because it is the right thing to do but because we all stand to benefit.</p> <p>Preparations for old age begin with care and support for parents and infants and even with preconception healthcare: anything that contributes to physical and mental health and to parents’ capacity to nurture children. It includes financial support, adequate housing, early identification and treatment of postnatal depression, good childcare and high-quality education for all.</p> <p>Anti-discriminatory policies, informed and inclusive healthcare, and social structures that support and enhance the lives of girls and women – as well as boys and men – will benefit everyone, not only older women.</p> <p>The United Nations has declared the years 2021 to 2030 to be the Decade of Healthy Ageing: a time for worldwide collaboration to promote longer and healthier lives. Physical health is emphasised not as an end but as a necessary condition for full participation in society. This endeavour is part of a magnificent movement towards creating age-friendly neighbourhoods. The World Health Organization has taken the lead through its <a href="https://extranet.who.int/agefriendlyworld/age-friendly-cities-framework">age-friendly cities framework</a>.</p> <p>The eight areas in the framework are community and healthcare, transportation, housing, social participation, outdoor spaces and buildings, respect and social inclusion, and civic participation and employment. These areas are interconnected. They encompass the physical, psychological and social components of life, all of which are implicated in ageing. We need to develop and maintain a world in which everyone, of any age, feels welcome and is encouraged to participate.</p> <p>Socially constructed ideas of ageing can similarly be socially dismantled.</p> <p>I’m proud to be old, but my age is not what I want you to see first, especially when “old” means useless, past it, of no interest to anyone else. A woman of 25 might have firm flesh and a future full of possibilities, but she doesn’t have all the decades of life experience embodied by a wrinkly woman of 75.</p> <p>I’d like people to be interested in old women’s stories, to be prepared to learn about their lives: not only their past, but what they’re doing now, what they plan to do in the time to come.</p> <p>This isn’t a whinge. I enjoy getting old. I love birthdays and cake. But I would like old age to be valued. It seems perverse for those who are not yet old to condemn their own futures.</p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/older-women-are-doing-remarkable-things-its-time-for-the-putdowns-to-end-199500" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Retirement Life

Placeholder Content Image

Can ‘voluntourism’ outgrow the white saviour stereotype and make a positive change post-pandemic?

<p>As the tourism industry emerges from pandemic shutdowns and border closures, so too is “voluntourism”, the sometimes controversial combination of overseas volunteer work and more traditional tourist experiences.</p> <p>Although hard to measure, pre-pandemic estimates suggest voluntourism was worth <a href="https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/mje/2022/01/22/the-paradox-of-voluntourism-how-international-volunteering-impacts-host-communities/">US$2 billion annually</a>, with up to <a href="https://www.cbi.eu/market-information/tourism/save-tourism/market-potential">ten million volunteers</a> globally. While COVID shut the practice down for the duration, it remains a <a href="https://roadbook.com/opinion/negative-effects-of-voluntourism/">multi-billion-dollar industry</a>, now poised to <a href="https://www.sbs.strath.ac.uk/blogs/SBS/post.aspx?id=1420">return and rebuild</a>.</p> <p>But volunteer tourism has met with considerable criticism. Voluntourists have been accused of putting <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/109983663/nz-school-students-pay-thousands-to-visit-orphanages-and-volunteer-overseas">vulnerable people at risk</a> (<a href="https://drivingchange.org/do-no-harm-the-dark-side-of-voluntourism/">including children</a>), <a href="https://tourismteacher.com/commodification-volunteer-tourism/">commodifying volunteer work</a>, perpetuating <a href="https://darbymatt.medium.com/voluntourism-is-neo-colonialism-56b6a25f6924">neo-colonialism</a> and <a href="https://www.euronews.com/travel/2022/02/21/how-white-saviour-voluntourism-gets-you-famous-on-tiktok">reinforcing</a> a “white saviour” complex.</p> <p>Voluntourism is also <a href="https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/2021/06/14/travel-opens-again-aid-voluntourism-needs-get-real">largely unregulated</a>, raising important <a href="https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/voluntourism/2019-09">ethical questions</a> about who it really aims to serve – travellers or hosts. These issues are now being felt in the Pacific, where voluntourism is a relatively new but growing industry. As <a href="https://e-tangata.co.nz/reflections/the-problem-with-white-saviours/">Simone Kaho wrote</a> of her experience in Tonga:</p> <blockquote> <p>In many cases, voluntourism asks the local community to stand back, and allow themselves to be helped. It turns helping into a business model.</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="https://blog.geographydirections.com/2019/09/03/global-encounters-voluntourism-in-fiji/">My research</a> in Fiji has also highlighted the problems associated with the commercialisation and commodification of volunteering. These are real and important issues that need close examination as tourism in general picks up.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">End voluntourism and the white saviour industrial complex <a href="https://t.co/gMHkZfTlsf">https://t.co/gMHkZfTlsf</a> via <a href="https://twitter.com/mailandguardian?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mailandguardian</a></p> <p>— NGO Watch Africa (@NGOWatchAfrica) <a href="https://twitter.com/NGOWatchAfrica/status/1582376611449491457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p><strong>Behind the ‘bula smile’</strong></p> <p>The Fiji case study – conducted with an international, for-profit, specialist voluntourism agency – tells a complex story about the benefits and downsides of voluntourism.</p> <p>Volunteers are hosted by local families and included in household life, attending church or religious functions, learning to cook Fijian food, and spending time with children and other family members. Through this, they gain an understanding of life behind the famous “bula” smile. As one staff member said:</p> <blockquote> <p>The host may get angry with you if you leave the light on, you may feel like you are back living with mum and dad because they may give you a lunch box, things like that. But it’s important that they see the person who is paid to smile at the Hilton, what they are like at home with their kids, how they make ends meet, how they eat.</p> </blockquote> <p>Hosts often put considerable energy into sharing their way of life and teaching volunteers Fijian culture. Most hosts and staff took pride in helping travellers find their way around and teaching them Fijian ways. In turn, this helped Fijian staff build knowledge and pride in their own culture.</p> <blockquote> <p>Also the good thing is that we keep up with our culture. Because if you are talking about it every day and you show them and try to talk about it, then the history remains […] Now when we go to the village we do the <em>sevusevu</em> [kava ceremony] and all those things, and we go with the elders. It was our mothers that did that, but now we are doing it, the next generation.</p> <p>When we have volunteers in a Fijian village we will go to any lengths to give them what they want, to try and serve them […] But of course then the volunteers change to become more Fijian!</p> </blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Are you itching to start travelling, but want to do it with care?</p> <p>Listen to this week's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WisdomWalks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WisdomWalks</a> to discover how you can avoid traps like voluntourism and greenwashing when travelling.</p> <p>🎧 27 mins.<a href="https://t.co/f366FJcyQG">https://t.co/f366FJcyQG</a></p> <p>— Curio (@curioio) <a href="https://twitter.com/curioio/status/1587821837932797953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p><strong>A chance to improve voluntourism</strong></p> <p>The growth of voluntourism in Fiji follows half a century of <a href="https://medium.com/tourism-geographic/paradise-the-noble-savage-and-the-white-savior-in-fiji-7ac7e302e5ec">mass tourism</a>, in which contact between Fijians and tourists has been largely limited and manufactured. Hosts embrace the opportunity to interact with tourists more directly and to build connections across the globe.</p> <p>However, the commercial nature of the encounter has the potential to significantly undermine these connections. The large fees paid by voluntourists mean they – like any tourist – are consumers.</p> <p>Volunteers have certain expectations, ranging from the mundane (internet access, good food and logistical support) to the more profound (a sense of accomplishment, a feeling they’ve made a difference). They will complain if these expectations aren’t met.</p> <p>The pandemic also raised questions about the sustainability of voluntourism. The organisation I studied cut its global workforce significantly. In Fiji it had provided jobs for about a dozen Fijian staff, as well as home-stay income for many households.</p> <p>While there is evidence that <a href="https://theconversation.com/traditional-skills-help-people-on-the-tourism-deprived-pacific-islands-survive-the-pandemic-148987">reliance on customary knowledge, systems and practices</a> helped tourism workers to survive and even thrive during the pandemic, the future for many is uncertain.</p> <p>COVID-19 has been something of a wake-up call that we need to move beyond voluntourism as a pseudo-development practice or as a commodified, profit-making experience. This is an opportunity for the industry to take on board the criticisms, examine past practice and reassess the role and impact of volunteering.</p> <p>Rather than rush back to business as usual, this is the perfect moment to look at reconfiguring the industry in line with the principles of sustainability and <a href="https://medium.com/activate-the-future/understanding-the-opportunity-of-regenerative-tourism-894136cafd3b">regenerative tourism</a>. In the process, perhaps voluntourism’s strengths – building cross-cultural relationships, learning and solidarity – can contribute more to meaningful social and environmental change.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/195719/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em>Writen by Sharon McLennan. Republished with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/can-voluntourism-outgrow-the-white-saviour-stereotype-and-make-a-positive-change-post-pandemic-195719" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

International Travel

Placeholder Content Image

Children’s stories can challenge stereotypes

<p>As book week draws near, new research shows the potential power of children’s books to challenge gendered stereotypes in science, technology, engineering and maths. Meanwhile Australian children are spoilt for choice when it comes to diverse books, keep reading below for some recommendations.</p> <p>A research team from the Netherlands, the United States and Canada found when children were read a story that countered stereotypes, for example about a girl who’s good at maths, afterwards they were less likely to hold gendered stereotypes than the control group. The paper is published in PLOS one.</p> <p>The study involved reading aloud to more than 300 North American six to eleven-year-olds, with each child randomly assigned to be read one of three different books. </p> <p>The first story was stereotype-consistent, in which a boy character performed well in maths, while a girl was shown liking and excelling in reading. The second was a counter-stereotypical case, where the story was the same but the characters’ genders were reversed. The third was a neutral story where swimming and tennis replaced the activities of maths and reading.</p> <p>After being read one of the three, the children completed a child-friendly ‘implicit association test’, which involved sorting maths words (like addition, count, math, numbers) and reading related words (like books, letters, words, read) into boy and girl categories. They also completed a ‘self-concept’ test, answering questions like ‘how much do you like maths?’</p> <p>While gendered stereotypes about STEM can be formed early, an important finding of the study was that children’s attitudes are malleable, and books which counter stereotypes can help challenge the status quo.</p> <p>The findings are significant given globally and in Australia, women and girls are under-represented in STEM fields and professions, with gendered perceptions a contributing factor, acting as a barrier to girls’ engagement. </p> <p>Jo Panckridge is a teacher-librarian and the Victorian president of the Children’s Book Council of Australia. She says diversity in all its forms is having a huge impact in the publishing world. </p> <p>For Australian books offering an antidote to traditional gendered views about STEM, Panckridge reels off a long list of titles, starting with Our Little Inventor by Sher Rill Ng. It’s about a girl who invents an air purifying device to solve pollution.</p> <p>Everyday Wonders by Natala Graetz, is brilliant for younger readers Panckridge says. The book highlights mothers who are “ordinary but powerful women – they can be doctors, they can be lawyers, they can be scientists, they can be all sorts of things”.</p> <p>Stellarphant by James Foley tells the story of a girl elephant who wants to be an astronaut but is refused by the managers at Space Command. The picture book showcases “a great example of persistence and resilience” and the love of engineering, space and mathematics, Panckridge says.</p> <p>Heroes, Rebels and Innovators by Karen Wyld celebrates the significant contributions of seven iconic Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and is shortlisted for the CBCA’s Eve Pownall Award for factual books.</p> <p>Andrea Beaty’s Ada Twist, Scientist and Rosie Revere, Engineer deserve a mention, along with Alex Miles’ series Girl Geeks about a group of ten-year-olds who like to code and play video games. </p> <p>“Dreaming with eyes open…” is the theme for this year’s CBCA book week (August 20 – 26). </p> <p>Panckridge says it is both a celebration of First Nations’ storytellers, as well as more broadly “an invitation for children, and teens and young adults, to dream to venture into books, to lose yourself in books and explore the places and people and experiences that stories of this country enable us to understand and to learn from.”</p> <p><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/social-sciences/childrens-books-combat-stereotypes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Petra Stock.</strong></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Books

Placeholder Content Image

Fans call JK Rowling out for ‘cartoonishly stereotypical’ character names

<p dir="ltr">With the<span> </span><em>Harry Potter: Return to Hogwarts<span> </span></em>reunion special sparking renewed interest in the series, some fans have voiced concerns about the names of several minor characters.</p> <p dir="ltr">Character names such as Seamus Finnegan, Cho Chang, and Fleur Delacour have been highlighted as being “cartoonishly stereotypical”, with people pointing out that ‘Cho’ and ‘Chang’ are both surnames. Twitter user Ben Mahtin<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://twitter.com/BenMahtin/status/1477707150004826120" target="_blank">wrote</a>, “Every single non-white non-British character has a cartoonishly stereotypical name - Cho Chang, Seamus Finnigan, Viktor Krum, Fleur Delacour”.</p> <p dir="ltr">In addition, users found a 2014 tweet from Rowling where she responded to a fan enquiry about whether there were any Jewish wizards at Hogwarts by naming a character not seen in either the books or the movies, Anthony Goldstein.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Anthony Goldstein. Ravenclaw. Jewish wizard. <a href="https://t.co/2oClCydHW3">pic.twitter.com/2oClCydHW3</a></p> — isi baehr-breen (its pronounced ‘izzy’) (@isaiah_bb) <a href="https://twitter.com/isaiah_bb/status/1477700531812454411?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2022</a></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Others pointed out other stereotypical names, including<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://twitter.com/failure2nd/status/1477713562114179073" target="_blank">Kingsley Shacklebolt</a>, as well as the fact that Finnegan, one of the few Irish characters in the series, has a habit of blowing things up.</p> <p dir="ltr">Of Cho Chang’s name, YouTuber Freddie Wong tweeted, “Two popular last names from two DIFFERENT KINDS of Asians!? Frankly, this was the first red flag we should’ve SEEN IT”.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">yo EVERY TIME I forget about how insane the name CHO CHANG is the internet REMINDS ME. Two popular last names from two DIFFERENT KINDS of Asians!? Frankly this was the first red flag we should've SEEN IT <a href="https://t.co/1NnoAwbB31">https://t.co/1NnoAwbB31</a></p> — Freddie Wong (@fwong) <a href="https://twitter.com/fwong/status/1477894030864228352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2022</a></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Actress Katie Leung, who played Chang in the movies, spoke to the Chinese Chippy Girl podcast about her experience as Cho. Not only did she experience racist abuse from fans, but she was told by publicists not to talk about it. “I remember them saying to me, ‘Oh, look, Katie, we haven’t seen these, these websites that people are talking about.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And, you know, if you get asked that, just say it’s not true, say it’s not happening.’ And I just nodded my head. I was like, ‘OK, OK,’ even though I had seen it myself with my own eyes. I was like, ‘OK, yeah, I’ll just say everything’s great.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I was like, Googling myself at one point and I was on this website, which was kind of dedicated to the Harry Potter fandom, and I remember reading all the comments. It was a lot of racist s***,”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Taylor Hill/FilmMagic</em></p>

Movies

Placeholder Content Image

“We can fix it”: Dad sparks debate over Disney book edits

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A dad has sparked some controversy online after </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/dad-edits-daughter-disney-princess-210152973.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">sharing edits</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to his daughter’s Disney Princess books to combat gender stereotypes.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The parent took to his TikTok account (</span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@dcaspers?is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">@dcaspers</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">) to share pages from his daughter’s “Step Into Reading” books starring Disney princesses and the edits he makes to inspire his daughters.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In one video of his now-viral series, he takes issue with a book featuring Ariel from </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Little Mermaid</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">. In it, Ariel struggles to bake a cake for Prince Eric, and @dcaspers is quick to change it.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Ariel changes her body, leaves her friends and family … and now she’s baking, all for him,” he writes over the clip.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The dad then shows the changes he made to the book, swapping Ariel’s piping bag full of icing for a slice of pizza.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Instead of baking, Ariel orders a pizza,” he writes.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“While the prince eats his pizza… with a fork,” he continues, “She finds her new love… in TikTok.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845262/dad-hack1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/e3fc4d5a65c1435f8839a77e47a1c308" /></span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: @dcaspers / TikTok</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In another clip, the dad focuses on Rapunzel from </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tangled</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and writes, “Teaching my daughters not to settle for the stereotypes”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the original reader, Rapunzel enters a pie-baking contest and wins a blue ribbon, “which her bf (boyfriend) approves” of. But, after the changes, Rapunzel considers “her future” in front of a sign for Harvard University, and her boyfriend Eugene bakes her a pie “because she’s top in her class”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845263/dad-hack2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/c189a0575b1345dd8ef6d6902e26f769" /></span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: @dcaspers / TikTok</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Many users have shared their approval of the dad’s efforts, while others believe they could do more harm than Disney’s original works.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“You are such a great dad. This is what we should teach our daughters, not that women do the cooking, cleaning and chores,” one commenter said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I honestly love this! I can’t stand stereotypes, and for Disney to use them when most little kids look up to/love them is awful. You’re amazing,” another wrote.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“What’s wrong with baking? And how is spending all your time on social media better than a fun activity that anyone could do?” one person argued, referring to the Ariel video.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The baking is a metaphor here. She pursued a goal, and achieved it successfully, while being cheered on by a loved one.. How can you see the bad in this?” another said, challenging his Rapunzel edits.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Bruh, just don’t buy the book if it offends you,” a third user suggested.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In response to the critics, one person wrote, “Why is everyone upset about a dad wanting to teach his daughters to be strong and independent?”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the controversy, this dad has shown how he wants to challenge the messages and stories his daughters see and gone the extra mile to do it.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: @dcaspers / TikTok</span></em></p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

Kmart accused of enforcing gender stereotypes on kids

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A customer has complained about Kmart’s range of children’s clothing, accusing the retail giant of “gender stereotyping”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a Facebook post, shopper Swagata said she was frustrated by the differences in Kmart’s range of kids t-shirts for boys versus girls.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She claimed that the designs of girls tops included words such as “love”, “more love”, and “smile” while boys tops featured phrases like “adventure”, “wild woodlands”, and “alpine trails”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Could you possibly be more gender stereotyping with your kids clothes?” the shopper wrote.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She went on to suggest kids clothes should be gender neutral to give shoppers and kids a wider choice.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Thumbs down from this parent,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The complaint comes after a recent petition called on Kmart to stop separating children’s clothing into “boys” and “girls” sections and instead offer one range for all children, claiming the retailer was sending the “wrong” message to kids.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Many parents of young boys will tell you their son loves pink, rainbows and flowers but simply cannot wear clothes in these styles like girls do without taking them from the girls section, which sends a strong message that the things they like are ‘wrong’,” the petition read.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Similarly, many parents of girls lament the lack of dinosaurs, trucks and non-frilly styles in the girls’ section.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But, the petition has received some backlash from parents.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I don’t mind if they want to remove the ‘Boys’ and ‘Girls’ signage and just make a ‘Children’s’ section,” one commentor wrote.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“But please don’t mix the actual clothing items up so that we have to trawl through racks of ‘boys’ clothes to get to the ‘girls’ clothes we actually want, or vice versa.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Kmart spokesperson previously told 7NEWS.com.au that the store embraces inclusion and diversity.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“At Kmart, we are proud to offer customers a wide range of children’s clothing in lots of different styles and it’s certainly not our intention to stereotype children based on gender,” the spokesperson said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The store layout reflects a majority of the way our Kmart customers shop and the difference between our boys and girls apparel range (in terms of fit) is marginal, so all customers have the opportunity to shop both areas for children.”</span></p>

Beauty & Style

Placeholder Content Image

How the new Aladdin stacks up against a century of Hollywood stereotyping

<p>Though critically acclaimed and widely beloved, the 1992 animated feature “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103639/?ref_=nv_sr_2?ref_=nv_sr_2">Aladdin</a>” had some serious issues with stereotyping.</p> <p>Disney wanted to avoid repeating these same problems in the live action version of “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcBllhVj1eA">Aladdin</a>,” which came out on May 24. So they sought advice from a Community Advisory Council comprised of Middle Eastern, South Asian and Muslim scholars, activists and creatives. I was asked to be a part of the group because of <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=HZ-HRd0AAAAJ&amp;hl=en">my expertise on representations of Arabs and Muslims in the U.S. media</a>.</p> <p>The fact that a major studio wants to hear from the community reflects Hollywood’s <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/02/21/696471501/hollywood-diversity-report-finds-progress-but-much-left-to-gain">growing commitment to diversity</a>.</p> <p>But while the live action “Aladdin” does succeed in rectifying some aspects of Hollywood’s long history of stereotyping and <a href="https://www.vox.com/2016/2/22/11091170/john-oliver-hollywood-whitewashing-oscars">whitewashing</a> Middle Easterners, it still leaves much to be desired.</p> <p><strong>Magical genies and lecherous sheikhs</strong></p> <p>In his seminal 1978 book “<a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Orientalism.html?id=66sIHa2VTmoC">Orientalism</a>,” literature professor <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Edward-Said">Edward Said</a> argued that Western cultures historically stereotyped the Middle East to justify exerting control over it.</p> <p><a href="https://www.bbc.com/ideas/videos/when-will-we-stop-stereotyping-people/p06p97cr">Orientalism in Hollywood</a> has a long history. Early Hollywood films such as “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0012675/?ref_=nv_sr_2?ref_=nv_sr_2">The Sheik</a>” and “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034465/?ref_=nv_sr_4?ref_=nv_sr_4">Arabian Nights</a>” portrayed the Middle East as a monolithic fantasy land – a magical desert filled with genies, flying carpets and rich men living in opulent palaces with their harem girls.</p> <p>While these depictions were arguably silly and harmless, they flattened the differences among Middle Eastern cultures, while portraying the region as backwards <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Unthinking_Eurocentrism.html?id=KqjAAwAAQBAJ">and in need of civilizing by the West</a>.</p> <p>Then came <a href="https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520244993/epic-encounters">a series of Middle Eastern conflicts and wars</a>: the Arab-Israeli war of 1967, the Arab Oil Embargo of 1973, the Iran Hostage Crisis and the Gulf War. In American media, the exotic Middle East faded; replacing it were depictions of violence and ominous terrorists.</p> <p>As media scholar Jack G. Shaheen <a href="https://shop.mediaed.org/reel-bad-arabs-p133.aspx">observed</a>, hundreds of Hollywood films over the last 50 years have linked Islam with holy war and terrorism, while depicting Muslims as either “hostile alien intruders” or “lecherous, oily sheikhs intent on using nuclear weapons.”</p> <p><strong>Cringeworthy moments in the original ‘Aladdin’</strong></p> <p>Against this backdrop, the Orientalism of Disney’s 1992 animated “Aladdin” wasn’t all that surprising.</p> <p>The opening <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3kkVGuiKFI">song lyrics described</a> a land “Where they cut off your ear if they don’t like your face” and declared, “It’s barbaric, but hey, it’s home!”</p> <p>When the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee <a href="https://variety.com/1993/film/news/aladdin-lyrics-altered-108628/">protested the lyrics</a>, Disney removed the reference to cutting off ears in the home video version but left in the descriptor “barbaric.”</p> <p>Then there were the ways the characters were depicted. As <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/1992/12/27/when-will-it-be-okay-to-be-an-arab-the-disney-people-didnt-have-to-invent-a-fictional-city-for-aladdin-its-set-in-baghdad/22c97a21-58f9-468b-a575-514e1c65e894/">many</a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1222519.Thinking_Class">have noted</a>, the bad Arabs are ugly and have foreign accents while the good Arabs – Aladdin and Jasmine – possess European features and white American accents.</p> <p>The film also continued the tradition of erasing distinctions between Middle Eastern cultures. For example, Jasmine, who is supposed to be from Agrabah – originally Baghdad but fictionalized because of the Gulf War in 1991 – has an Indian-named tiger, Rajah.</p> <p><strong>Questionable progress</strong></p> <p>After 9/11, a spate of films emerged that rehashed many of the old terrorist tropes. But surprisingly, some positive representations of Middle Eastern and Muslim characters emerged.</p> <p>In 2012, I published my book “<a href="https://nyupress.org/9780814707326/arabs-and-muslims-in-the-media/">Arabs and Muslims in the Media: Race and Representation after 9/11</a>.” In it, I detail the strategies that writers and producers used after 9/11 to offset stereotyping.</p> <p>The most common one involved including a patriotic Middle Eastern or Muslim American to counterbalance depictions as terrorists. In the TV drama, “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1796960/">Homeland</a>,” for example, Fara Sherazi, an Iranian American Muslim CIA analyst, is killed by a Muslim terrorist, showing that “good” Muslim Americans are willing to die for the United States.</p> <p>But this didn’t change the fact that Middle Easterners and Muslims were, by and large, portrayed as threats to the West. Adding a ‘good’ Middle Eastern character doesn’t do much to upend stereotypes when the vast majority are still appearing in stories about terrorism.</p> <p>Another strategy also emerged: reverting to old Orientalist tropes of the exotic, romantic Middle East. Maybe writers and producers assumed that depicting the Middle East as exotic would be an improvement over associating it with terrorism.</p> <p>The 2004 film “<a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/article/454768/pdf">Hidalgo</a>,” for example, tells the story of an American cowboy who travels to the Arabian desert in 1891 to participate in a horse race. In classic Orientalist fashion, he saves the rich sheik’s daughter from the sheik’s evil, power-hungry nephew.</p> <p>The 2017 movie “<a href="https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/victoria-abdul-stephen-frears-judi-dench-eddie-izzard/Content?oid=31655216">Victoria and Abdul</a>” depicts an unlikely friendship between Queen Victoria and her Indian-Muslim servant, Abdul Karim. While the film does critique the racism and Islamophobia of 19th-century England, it also infantilizes and exoticizes Abdul.</p> <p>Nonetheless, some glaring problems persisted. <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2010/05/why-is-a-white-actor-playing-prince-of-persia-title-role/345435/">Jake Gyllenhaal was cast</a> in the lead role of “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0473075/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1">The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time</a>” (2010), while Christian Bale and Joel Edgerton were cast in “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1528100/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1">Exodus: Gods and Kings</a>” (2014) as Egyptian characters.</p> <p>Why were white actors assuming these roles?</p> <p>When challenged, producer Ridley Scott <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2010/05/why-is-a-white-actor-playing-prince-of-persia-title-role/345435/">infamously said</a> that he can’t “say that my lead actor is Mohammad so-and-so from such-and-such. I’m just not going to get it financed.”</p> <p><strong>Does the new ‘Aladdin’ make strides?</strong></p> <p>Perhaps in a desire to avoid the mistakes of the past, Disney executives sought advice from cultural consultants like me.</p> <p>There’s certainly some notable progress made in the live-action “Aladdin.”</p> <p>Egyptian Canadian actor Mena Massoud plays Aladdin. Given the <a href="https://www.menaartsadvocacy.com/">dearth of people of Middle Eastern descent in lead roles</a>, the significance of casting Massoud cannot be overstated. And despite the fact that <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/disney-aladdin-skin-darkening_n_5a54e36fe4b003133eccb275">some white extras had their skin darkened during filming</a>, Disney did cast actors of Middle Eastern descent in most of the main roles.</p> <p>Casting Indian British actress Naomi Scott as Jasmine was <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2017/07/17/disney-aladdin-jasmine-naomi-scott_a_23034316/">controversial</a>; many hoped to see an Arab or Middle Eastern actress in this role and wondered whether casting someone of Indian descent would simply reinforce notions of “Oriental” interchangeability. Nonetheless, the film does note that Jasmine’s mother is from another land.</p> <p>The biggest problem with the 2019 “Aladdin” is that it perpetuates the trend of reverting to magical <a href="http://arabstereotypes.org/why-stereotypes/what-orientalism">Orientalism</a> – as if that’s a noteworthy improvement over terrorist portrayals. In truth, it’s not exactly a courageous move to trade explicit racism for cliched exoticism.</p> <p>To be fair, “Aladdin” distinguishes itself from “Hidalgo” and other Orientalist films of this trend by not revolving around the experiences of a white protagonist.</p> <p>However, once again, characters with American accents are the “good guys” while those with non-American accents are mostly, but not entirely, “bad.” And audiences today will be as hard pressed as those in 1992 – or 1922, for that matter – to identify any distinct Middle Eastern cultures beyond that of an overgeneralized “East.” Belly dancing and Bollywood dancing, turbans and keffiyehs, Iranian and Arab accents all appear in the film interchangeably.</p> <p>Just as making positive tweaks within a story about terrorism doesn’t accomplish much, so does making positive tweaks within a story about the exotic East. Diversifying representations requires moving beyond these tired tropes and expanding the kinds of stories that are told.</p> <p>“Aladdin,” of course, is a fantastical tale, so questions about representational accuracy might seem overblown. It is also a really fun movie in which Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott and Will Smith all shine in their roles. But over the last century, Hollywood has produced <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Reel-Bad-Arabs-Hollywood-Vilifies/dp/1566567521/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=reel+bad+arabs&amp;qid=1557265888&amp;s=books&amp;sr=1-1-catcorr">over 900 films that stereotype Arabs and Muslims</a> – a relentless drumbeat of stereotypes that <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-bad-news-for-one-muslim-american-is-bad-news-for-all-muslims-61358">influences public opinion and policies</a>.</p> <p>If there were 900 films that didn’t portray Arabs, Iranians and Muslims as terrorists or revert to old Orientalist tropes, then films like “Aladdin” could be “just entertainment.”</p> <p>Until then, we’ll just have to wait for the genie to let more nuanced and diverse portrayals out of the lamp.</p> <p><em>Written by Evelyn Alsultany. Republished with permission of </em><a href="https://theconversation.com/how-the-new-aladdin-stacks-up-against-a-century-of-hollywood-stereotyping-115608"><em>The Conversation</em></a><em>. </em></p>

Movies

Placeholder Content Image

Why it’s time Hollywood lets go of ageist stereotypes

<p>As we age, we start to become more aware of how the world stigmatises the elderly – especially in the realm of movies. We’re told we’re technologically illiterate and we’re frail and tired. These negative stereotypes are almost always associated with those in the senior age bracket, and it seems that actors and actresses over 60 are forced to play these roles as there is hardly anything of substance on offer.</p> <p>According to a recent study by the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, ageism isn’t just insulting, but it’s also incredibly unhealthy.</p> <p>Researchers analysed 4,066 speaking roles in the top grossing movies for 2015. They then made the grim discovery that only 11% of the speaking roles went to actors aged over 60.</p> <p>What makes it even worse, is that half of these roles reinforced ageing stereotypes.</p> <p><strong>So what can we do to fight back?</strong></p> <p>Believe it or not, you have a lot more power than you assume. First things first, avoid any movies that show seniors in a negative light. Don’t give them your money and don’t take your grandchildren to watch them either. Also build awareness within yourself. When watching movies, pay attention to how the older character is portrayed.</p> <p>And if they’re treated as an afterthought, remind yourself that people our age are accomplishing phenomenal things. They’re going back to school, taking up dance classes, starting technology companies and more.</p> <p>We may be weak on the silver screen, but we’re powerful in real life.</p>

Movies

Placeholder Content Image

Can you spot what is wrong with this controversial hotel ad?

<p>Sofitel Hotels is weathering a stormy response to an advertisement that appeared in <em>Good Weekend</em> magazine for its Brisbane hotel.</p> <p>It seems like an innocuous, prosaic hotel ad, but on further inspection, the devil is in the detail.</p> <p>On one side of the bed sits a bath-robed man reading a copy of <em>Australian Financial Review</em>. On the other is a bath-robed woman reading a Chanel coffee table book. He has a basket of pastries for breakfast nearby. She has a plate of fruit.</p> <p>The advertisement has been branded as sexist on social media, reports the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6252039/Whats-wrong-hotel-advert-Women-arms-sexist-poster.html" target="_blank"><em>Daily Mail</em></a>, with criticism scathing of what the young couple are each reading – he something intellectual, her something presumably frivolous – and the proximity of each type of breakfast foods to them.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Hi <a href="https://twitter.com/SofitelBrisbane?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SofitelBrisbane</a>, your breakfast looks delicious! Hey and just wanted to let you know I’m a woman and I also read the <a href="https://twitter.com/FinancialReview?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FinancialReview</a> every day <a href="https://t.co/qOg5J2vkqz">pic.twitter.com/qOg5J2vkqz</a></p> — Elizabeth Redman (@elizabethredman) <a href="https://twitter.com/elizabethredman/status/1049034184570929154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2018</a></blockquote> <p><em>The Australian</em><span> </span>reporter Elizabeth Redman tweeted:</p> <p>“Hi @SofitelBrisbane, your breakfast looks delicious! Hey and just wanted to let you know I’m a woman and I also read the <span>@FinancialReview every day.”</span></p> <p>“Yes, newsflash for @SofitelBrisbane — some women are in fact more interested in whether stocks and shares are going up and down than whether hemlines are,” another Twitter user wrote.</p> <p>Someone else brought attention to the layout of the breakfast spread on Twitter.</p> <p>“Of course the fruit platter is on her side, she'd be loathed to touch the baked goods...' they wrote.</p> <p>One man thought the advertisement resembled something that <em>Mad Men</em>’s fictional Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce 1950s-era advertising agency would have come up with.</p> <p>A spokesperson for the hotel chain tweeted that depicting a sexist representation of a couple was not the intention of the advertisement, with the company pulling the ad.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Hi Elizabeth, we appreciate you voicing your concerns. There was no intention of portraying a stereotype but we recognise it &amp; apologise for any offence it has caused The creative has been pulled from any future activity. Feel free to send us a DM if you’d like to discuss further</p> — Sofitel Brisbane (@SofitelBrisbane) <a href="https://twitter.com/SofitelBrisbane/status/1049181902354014208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2018</a></blockquote> <p>“There was no intention of portraying a stereotype but we recognise it and apologise for any offence that it has caused.”</p> <p>Do you think there’s anything wrong with this advertisement? Let us know in the comments below.</p>

Travel Trouble

Placeholder Content Image

This stereotype about only children has been proven true

<p>It’s often claimed that children who grow up without siblings, raised as the sole focus of their doting parents, are more selfish than their multi-sibling counterparts. And while most only children would vehemently deny this claim, unfortunately, it seems there may be some truth to it.</p> <p>Scientists from Southwest University in Chongqing, China, have found a significant difference in the brains of only children and kids with siblings. MRI scans show that children brought up without brothers and sisters have less grey matter in the part of the brain related to agreeableness, making them more selfish, less empathetic and harder to get along with.</p> <p>The study, <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11682-016-9530-9?wt_mc=alerts.TOCjournals" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">published in the journal <em>Brain Imaging and Behaviour</em></span></strong></a>, examined 250 university students, half of whom had siblings and half who did not.</p> <p>“Due to the absence of siblings, only children usually miss out on important opportunities to rehearse some of the more complicated aspects of relationships within a safe environment and also miss many opportunities to develop psychosocial skills, emotional support and learning opportunities compared with non-only-children,” researchers explained, adding that extra parental (and grandparental) attention may “cause undesirable personality traits in the children, such as dependency, selfishness and social ineptitude”.</p> <p>However, it’s not all bad news. While agreeableness was indeed lower in only children, they were also found to be more creative than children with siblings. The study’s authors believe this may be due to a number of factors, including greater expectations placed on only children as well as having to learn how to act independently.</p> <p>“Many studies have proven that expectations have a strong influence on cognitive performance, including instance creativity,” researchers reveal. “Additionally, only children might have more opportunities for independent activity, and independence is strongly related to creative thinking.”</p> <p>What do you think about the scientists’ conclusions? Have you found this stereotype to be true? Let us know in the comments below!</p>

Family & Pets

Placeholder Content Image

85-year-old tech-savvy senior defying stereotypes

<p>It seems like barely a day passes without the announcement of some new app, gadget or piece of technology, to the point when it can be a little overwhelming at times.</p> <p>But there are plenty of seniors who aren’t just surviving through this influx of technology, but thriving! 85-year-old Max Perlov might just be the best example of this.</p> <p>Max has been in Australia for 37 years after relocating from his native Russia. After working as a mechanical engineer, Max retained his keen interest in electronics which led him to start using computer technology in 1992.</p> <p>Max took to it like a duck to water, using his PC to complete work at home with 3D design software and finding various uses for his home computer over the last 21 years.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="750" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/37875/tech-savvy-senior-in-text_500x750.jpg" alt="Tech -savvy -senior -in -text"/></p> <p>Most recently, Max has become an avid tablet and mobile phone user, and uses this new wave of technology to communicate with family and friends all around the world.</p> <p>Max says, “I love that technology allows me to communicate with people all over the world. I’m a big fan of emojis, too – I often use them to make text messaging a bit more fun. I use the camera on my phone all the time when I’m out and about as well.”</p> <p>And this octogenarian isn’t slowing down anytime soon, giving himself the brand-new Samsung S8 as a little present to help celebrate his 85th birthday.</p> <p>Max is looking forward to getting his hands on this new piece of tech, “I’m excited to see what it’s like and am always looking at the latest tech advancements and products.”</p> <p>Are you using technology more and more these days? Share your experience in the comments below.</p>

Technology

Placeholder Content Image

The children’s book challenging ageist stereotypes

<p>In January, <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/2017/01/superstar-grandmas-picture-book-defying-old-stereotypes/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">we introduced you</span></strong></a> to Andrea Gallagher, the Australian author challenging old stereotypes with her children’s picture book,<em> Superstar Grandmas: An A-Z of Seriously Cool Seniors</em>. Now, two months later, Gallagher has just released her follow-up book, <em>Mega-rad Grandads</em>.</p> <p>Aside from the many “dynamic and vibrant grandads” she knew, Andrea tells Over60 her main inspiration was her very own father – and now grandad to her two children. “He’s the most amazing grandad,” she gushes. “He’s really something very special.”</p> <p>Sick of the “grumpy old grandad” stereotype she had so often seen, Andrea decided to shed some light on what grandfathers truly are – fun-loving, making up for lost time, and essential to every child’s development.</p> <p>“In every society, you need your elders to play a significant role and teach the next generation about tradition and about what’s happened before, because that’s how we develop as a society,” she explains. “That presence of elders having an influence has such a positive impact, and so I just want to be a part of anything that will reignite that within our society, to remember how significant grandparents are and what an important role they have in the lives of little grandchildren as well as older grandchildren. That’s how I was raised, and I don’t want to see it die out in my children’s generation.”</p> <p>The product of this is <em>Mega-Rad Grandads</em>, an A – Z picture book featuring real-life grandads and their passions in life.</p> <p>There’s Bruce the baker…</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="595" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/34766/image-1_500x595.jpg" alt="Image 1 (8)"/></p> <p>Gordon the gardener…</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="595" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/34767/image-2_500x595.jpg" alt="Image 2 (7)"/></p> <p>And Harry the hippy!</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="595" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/34768/image-3_500x595.jpg" alt="Image 3 (6)"/></p> <p>The final few pages of the book are dedicated to the grandads themselves, and you and the grandkids will have a blast trying to match the grandad’s photo to his letter in the alphabet. Plus, you might find it’s just the thing to help send little ones off into the land of nod. “The thing that’s common to both of the books is that it finishes at Z on a sleeping theme, so that grandma and grandad can finish reading the book to their little grandchild and say, ‘now it’s time for a sleep!’”</p> <p><img width="194" height="231" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/34769/cover_194x231.jpg" alt="Cover" style="float: right;"/></p> <p style="text-align: left;">To celebrate the release of <em>Mega-Rad Grandads</em>, Andrea – and the grandads themselves – have organised a barbecue picnic for all grandparents and their little ones to have some fun, play some games and enjoy a sausage sizzle. The event will take place at Grange Bowls Club in Queensland on Sunday, April 23 from 2-4 pm, and all are welcome. To RSVP, email <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="mailto:andrea@penelopeandpeter.com" target="_blank">andrea@penelopeandpeter.com</a></strong></span>.</p> <p>If you’d like to purchase a copy of <em>Mega-Rad Grandads</em>, <a href="http://andreagallagher.com.au/product/mega-rad-grandads-soft-cover-book/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">click here</span></strong></a>. You can also grab a copy of <em>Superstar Grandmas</em> for a special discounted price when purchased together. <a href="http://andreagallagher.com.au/shop/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Visit Andrea’s website</span></strong></a> to find out more. </p>

Family & Pets

Placeholder Content Image

8 incredible over-60s who will inspire you

<p>These everyday seniors are achieving amazing things in their retirement. From athletic feats to achieving dreams of their youth, be inspired by these people not letting their age stop them from achieving their favourite things in life.</p> <p>Do you have any stereotype breaking hobbies and interests? Let us know in the comments below.</p> <p><strong>1. </strong><strong>Hidekichi Miyazaki – Sprinter, 106</strong></p> <p>Hidekichi broke his own record as the ‘Oldest Competitive Sprinter’ in the world. He has been nicknamed Japan’s Golden Bolt.</p> <p><strong>2. Ruth Flowers (aka Mamy Rock) – DJ, 80-something</strong></p> <p>Though DJ Mamy rock passed away in 2014, she forged an incredible legacy for herself. She travelled for sz years and released three singles while being a DJ.</p> <p><strong>3. </strong><strong>Greta Pontarelli – Pole dancer, 66</strong></p> <p>Greta is currently the world’s oldest international Pole Sport and Pole Art Champion. She is an award-wining gymnast and martial artist and once performed with Chuck Norris’ stunt team.</p> <p><strong>4. Hip Op-eration – Hip Hop troupe, ages 67-95</strong></p> <p>This vibrant Kiwi group have all had hip operations but have competed in the 2013 World Hip Hop Dance Competition in Las Vegas. They have gone viral and started from a flash mob in Auckland 2012.</p> <p><strong>5. Min Bahadur Sherchan – Adventurer, 84</strong></p> <p>Min became the oldest person in 2008 to stand on the highest peak on Mt Everest. His climbing rival beat his record in 2013 and so Min is making plans to re-climb the highest peak in the world.</p> <p><strong>6. Bette Calman – Yoga instructor, 90</strong></p> <p>Bette retired from instructing yoga at 87 and racked up almost 60 years of teaching. She pioneered a lot in Australian yoga and is more flexible than her grandson.</p> <p><strong>7. Jiro Ono – Sushi supremo, 90-something</strong></p> <p>Jiro is a chef at an exclusive sushi restaurant that only sits ten. A documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi was made by Anthony Bourdain and made the chef even more of a sushi sensation.</p> <p><strong>8. Emma Morano – World’s oldest person, 117</strong></p> <p>Emma from Northern Italy recently turned 117. She has been single since her divorce in 1938 and believes that is the key to her longevity.</p>

Retirement Life

Our Partners