This weeks post for the Writer's Post Blog Hop is hosted by....ME
Invisible People is your prompt...run with it and take it wherever your mind tells you there is a message, a story or just a ramble. It's all yours...1, 2, 3 GO!
Then be sure to post on the appropriate thread and of course, linky up ... you'll find the link post at the end of my take on the prompt.
I find myself at age 62 years, 11 months to be one of the Invisible People I used to hear people talk about. Okay, you CAN still see me, but do you?
I'm not working anymore. I'm hardly even part of my community anymore. I stay home much more than I used to do and I like it this way. I buy groceries and talk with people while doing so. I have to go inside the bank once in a while and speak to people there. Otherwise, I really speak only to my roomy, my momma and other family and friends who call or visit. Mostly I communicate through texting, phone calls, FB and of course, by blogging. Many of my friends have never seen me. Many never will.
When marketers are looking for test groups, they don't see me. Even though I do a good deal of purchasing for myself, for Roomy and even for Momma. I choose the stores and I often do the actual shopping because either they don't want to or they simply can't do the big stores. Yet, the marketers don't see me. They see the 30 somethings and the 40 somethings as their targeted audience. They use them in advertising for wrinkle creams, really? Okay. They use them to talk about bladder control products; again, really? There are thousands, maybe millions of attractive senior women who could be your spokesperson for products senior women might be interested in purchasing. It's a shame they are all invisible.
Sadly, to most of America, our growing population of Over 50's is basically invisible.
For the record, I am pretty hard to ignore if I'm in the room with you, but if I'm home and typing to you or texting to you, I guess you can ignore me. I'd love it if you didn't though.
Jo
And the linky tool.....
Great prompt for this week's hop!! Thank you so much for Hosting :D
ReplyDeleteJo-- while I can't see you here online-- I have to let you know your presence is very real--and a very important one. I don't think I could ever ignore you if I knew you were there. Your friendship is precious and if you were to log off and never come back, you would sorely be missed (don't get any ideas!) by so many!!
The marketing thing--I honestly think a lot of it isn't realistic. They are always trying to "define" what they believe people will find attractive--especially with their models. I thank God for my DVR because I just refuse to watch any of it. I try to make them invisible!!
LOL.
So much to think about for this prompt--I am so looking forward to the entries :D
Cheers, Jenn
Thank you for the assurance of my on line visibility...that is important to me. Something I suppose, we all wonder about sometimes. The reason I stay on is much more because I miss my on line friends and have wondered if they would notice if I wasn't here.
DeleteGood to know.
And the ad people, well, pffft, whatevs!
Interesting post and give me something to think about. Take care and hopefully will come up with something to write about by next Monday.
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving!
Angela
I hope you do! :)
DeleteAnd thank you
You would never be invisible Jo. And I'm with Jenn, you would be sorely missed.
ReplyDeleteSo true about the marketers - totally unrealistic.
Thank you, Suzy, really need to hear that! :-)
DeleteI agree with Jenn While I do understand your points, I simply must add that you have an incredible presence. I miss hearing from you when you are busy with your life away from the computer. :).
ReplyDeleteAdvertising is one very unrealistic industry.
Xo
Luckily then, my real life isn't something that interferes with our communications very often! ♥
DeleteAd people need to wake up!
Great point you make her Jo,and count me among the many who feel your presence. I find the flip side to the marketing that I have noticed a funny one. Watch the marketing for kids toys sometime. The kids are ALWAYS older than the actual market for the toy. My take is it's because kids always want what the "older ones" have. I don't really trust any marketing as I am always looking for the angle that's supposed to reel me in. I'm fairly invisible in my home community as well and must admit, that's basically self imposed. Thanks for sharing and hosting!
ReplyDeleteI don't mind being invisible in my community, because when I do speak, it's easy enough to get the attention I am seeking. Articles in the paper, etc.
DeleteMarketing, doesn't usually work well on me, BUT if it's aimed at me, by someone who looks a bit like she has a life like mine, I might possibly be more inclined to listen.
Had to pull you out of spam again...but it's always worth it! ♥
I think (or maybe I just like to believe) that there's a shift underway. Post-50 women have a bigger voice than the generations before them did at that age. Maybe it's because we're the first generation of women who grew up with voices that were important beyond our small circles. Maybe it's because we're part of the boom and therefore must be acknowledged simply because of our numbers. Hell, maybe it's just because we just won't shut up. :OD
ReplyDeleteOur daughters have very strong voices and their impact just might be stronger even than that of their brothers. Who, a generation or two ago, would have seen that as even remotely possible? Politicians and marketers--at least those who hope to succeed--are listening to those voices.
We women are a powerful force. Now we need to be sure that we use that power to promote all the good that we've always inherently had. We can change the world.
Oh, and as far as the advertising for those wrinkle creams? I think they'll always use younger, wrinkle-free women as their spokespeople. Not because they don't understand and appreciate their target market, but because the products they're pushing don't have a snowball's chance of keeping us from showing our age, and they know it. Genetics, sun-sense, and moisture make a difference, but time marches on, even for us boomers. We feel young and vibrant, and get a little indignant when the mirror reflects our mothers' faces--and much to the benefit of those magic-cream peddlers, that indignation makes us prime targets for their promises and sales pitches.
All I can say, Beth, is I hope you have it right. I do believe we are much more a part of the political and social world today than our mothers were and certainly our daughters are poised to take over the world, so maybe there is something to be said for never allowing someone to shut us up!
DeleteThose mirrors do lie...I need one that reflects my heart instead of my face, I'm thinking.
You are far from invisible Jo, and too good of a friend to ignore. There would be a lot of people who would miss you if you were no longer online, including me.
ReplyDeleteKathy
http://gigglingtruckerswife.blogspot.com
Thanks Kathy...of course, you know I feel the same!
DeleteThank you for such a great word prompt. My imagination took me places where I thought was too painful but had to face. And you're far from getting invisible by the way :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Anne...I know what you mean and it can happen with some of the oddest prompts, can't it?
DeleteFantastic prompt. I can see what you mean about people your age being invisible to marketers etc. But you, dear Jo, as everyone here has said already have a special brand of warmth and humor that touches too many to make you invisible. ♥
ReplyDeleteHow sweet of you, Corinne. Marketers will wake up one day, there are way too many of us to ignore! And we talk to a lot of people in a loud voice!
DeleteThis post is soo true Jo. I'm 49 and I see the marketing trend, hell, the social trend altogether and a part of me just feels so used. Hard to explain. Take me in my youth, in my so called prime but kick me to the curb once I get one toe over the line. Craziness and totally unfair. YOU are not invisible to me and I suspect many, many others. You never will be.. It's a shame society doesn't see the twinkle in your eye.. I'm quite certain they would think twice before wrapping you in the invisibility cloak. ;)
ReplyDeleteOne would think the over 50's would be an easy target and therefore, would be pretty good people to sell to and use for models. But what do I know?
Delete