Negative Stereotypes In The Television Show 'Bojack Horseman'

The television series “Bojack Horseman”, “Arrested Development”, and “Louie” portray older adult characters that are having a difficult time accepting that they are no longer how they were when they were younger. In the show “Bojack Horseman”, the characters Bojack and his two friends Todd and Herb all experience events that make them feel old, while Louis C.K. realizes the youthful bachelor life is not for him anymore in from the show “Louie”, and the character Lindsay in “Arrested Development” is struggling to accept the fact that she is getting older and is no longer turning heads. All three of these shows portray negative stereotypes, making belittling generalizations of the older adults and aging (Hillier & Barrow, 37). These stereotypes

Bojack himself is depicted as a depressed alcoholic who is egotistical, short-tempered, and impatient. He struggles with being a “has-been” actor whose fame ended after a 90’s sitcom. He smokes and drinks heavily to manage with the stress and seclusion of no longer being relevant. Bojack is stereotyped as the typical has-been actor who is clinically depressed, uses drugs and alcohol to cope, and is often self-pitying. The fact that Bojack was once famous and is no longer popular has made him hypersensitive about aging. This often results in him questioning his purpose, his life, and his relationships. This stereotype encourages ageism because it makes the process of aging seem depressing and difficult causing younger people to believe that all older people are unhappy about being

She dresses up and expects that the prisoners would make cat calls her way. To her surprise, not one looks up. When this happens a second time, she expresses “Have I lost it?” because she used to be praised for her beauty and no longer is, it makes her realize that she has not aged beautifully making her hyperaware of her aging. She becomes very confused and lost and must reevaluate herself. What Lindsay is experiencing is a change in self-concept due to this realization. Self-concept refers to how people perceive themselves and their character, qualities, and their behavior all deriving from an assortment of self-perceptions (Hillier & Barrow, 41). Lindsay suffers from the idea that she must create a new self-concept when it comes to her attractiveness. This occurrence causes aging adults to have lowered self-worth and esteem. Though many people use cosmetic surgery, make-up, and what they wear to make them appear younger, ultimately they are still the age they currently are. Lindsay’s stereotype encourages ageism in that younger people will begin to think that people are no longer beautiful once they pass a certain age leading to adults feeling a loss of importance and that without beauty, they are no longer