A Long Time Ago in a Galaxy Not So Far Away
How the Star Wars saga changed its view of ageing.
Last week we had an ice storm. If you’ve never experience one, just imagine everything — everything — with a thin coat of ice. Nearly half an inch, in our case. Roads, trees, houses, cars. It’s not like snow. All-wheel drive won’t help. So my family and I did what everyone does. We stayed home. And we watched movies.
Somehow we got onto a Star Wars kick. Starting with “The Force Awakens,” we went through the entire third trilogy. The next day we started with the original, now called “A New Hope.” At that point a couple of points began to nag at me.
Obi-Wan is referred to at various times as an “old fossil” and “old man”
Alec Guinness portrays Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original movie. He is referred to at various times as an “old fossil” and “old man.” He was 62 at the time.
In contrast, Harrison Ford was 35 in the original (and the one who calls Obi-Wan an old man). In “The Force Awakens,” Ford is 73, more than 10 years older than Guinness in the original. At no point is he referred to as an old man, or anything else derogatory. He’s a respected legend, in fact. (“The rebel general?” — “No, the smuggler!”)
Mark Hamill is the primary focus of “The Last Jedi.” He was 26 in the original movie; this one is 40 years later, making him 66. He is now a respected Jedi Knight, struggling to deal with a past that haunts him. What he is not is “an old fossil.”
What Luke is not is “an old fossil”
For his part, Harrison Ford is still actively working. He has two new streaming shows out, and plans to stay at it, even though he’s just turned 80. In a recent interview he says that he “can’t imagine not working.”
The difference of course is that Mr. Ford is still in demand. For the average American worker, anything older than the double nickel gets you black-balled with hiring managers. Recruiters will tell you to list no more than 20 years of experience on your resumé, but we all know that’s a joke. Your age is available with a few keystrokes to anyone interested in finding it.
Anything older than the double nickel gets you black-balled with hiring managers
As the Baby Boomer cohort ages, it also continues to disrupt the status quo. Now, 70- and 80-year-old boomers are fighting back. Need proof? Look at Hollywood, the US Congress, and the music industry. Mick Jagger is still touring with the Stones at 79.
The rest of corporate America refuses to catch up though. Our culture — outside these examples — still has little use for people over 60. They are portrayed as being in the way, not productive, and a drain on the economy.
Never mind that the majority are self-sufficient, middle-class consumers with more assets than younger generations, with abundant time and talent to offer society. This from Doris Roberts (the mom from “Everybody Loves Raymond”) during a congressional hearing on ageism. She was 77.
The majority of boomers are self-sufficient, middle-class consumers with more assets than younger generations
Ms. Roberts is quoted in a new book by Becca Levy, PhD, who is a professor at Yale University. The book, titled “Breaking the Age Code,” shows how our beliefs and those of our culture can shape our lives. In fact, according to Dr. Levy, changing to a more positive view on ageing could add more than seven years to our lives.
That sounds like a power equal to the much-heralded “force” in the Star Wars universe. To quote Han Solo, “It’s true. All of it.”
