Is this potentially offensive to seniors?

Question

I'm in college, and an organization I belong to is planning to go to the local Bingo place. There is a theme, they want us to dress as older people. This organization is NOT trying to offend anybody (it is a Catholic group, they try to find clean, fun things for us to do). I really love older people, I am a Hospice volunteer and my grandma is my best friend, so I am kind of worried that we will offend some of the Senior citizens? Do you think the theme is cute, or tacky and potentially offensive?

Thanks!!

Answer 1

no i think with age comes a keener sense of humor.

Answer 2

Do you have to actually dress as an old person with grey
hair and maybe frumpy clothes? Or can you dress in some
trendy fashion that someone from that older group would
appreciate remembering? Like maybe dressing up as a
teenager during the 40's period or even before that when
racoon coats, and saddle shoes were the rage (into the
early 50's too). Pleated skirts and white puffy sleeved
blouses with thick cuffs on the socks were worn then too
with long hair or pinned up long hair in a roll on top. I would
worry about offending the elderly as well. Especially when
alot of them don't have the happier dispositions they may
have had when younger. If you do funny charicatures and
wear silly clothes you might offend them. I'd find out just how
realistic they want you to be. I'd think going in a costume of
an era within that elderly group, would be the tamest thing.
Even wearing a military uniform, from WWII and hat would
strike a bell in someones mind. You could adapt some
clothes to make them look passable, from the thrift stores.
Even finding uniform jackets is probable as I've seen them.
Then all you'd have to worry about is a pair of pants to match
or a skirt of the same brown or green. If it werent' for cold
weather, you could even wear a bathing suit with the 40's
early 50's days, when they weren't as skimpy. One piece
suits were more common than not. Of course, you might
have to wear a pair of long johns if it's cold outside LOl.
Hope you can solve your dilema on this. I think it's asking
too much myself.
Oh, I just had an idea on another costume. You could go
dressed as a "canteen volunteer'. They were girls who
volunteered to dance and entertain service men and women
at special clubs set aside by the Red Cross where they
could go when new in town. To get a hot meal at a discount
or some form of entertainment. The girls wore dressy dresses
but not coctail. And so you could look for something tailored
to wear with sturdy shoes with a short heel. Well good luck.
I think you may need it. LOL.

Answer 3

I am not quite a senior, but think the idea is tacky. And because older people play bingo so much, I am shocked that someone even came up with the idea. You might very well have people walk out of the place.

I am wondering who your adviser is to approve of such a thing. I can tell you in all honesty that people who work with the elderly on a daily basis (and with college student volunteers) would be shocked if they read your question. I can almost assure you that your question will be part of lectures tomorrow in gerontology-related classes at universities.

Answer 4

I guess I am missing the point of this Catholic college organization...is this like the Newman Center? Why on earth would a religious organization want people to dress up and infiltrate a senior citizen hang out...I am totally confused...What about this is good clean fun?? I am not in the least offended... but rather baffled by the whole concept.

Answer 5

Unfortunately, although you all have the best intentions, some people would be offended. Talk to the organizer and tell him what people have said here and see if you can come up with another theme-and go ahead and visit the folks. I'm sure they'd love to have you. Thank you for the hospice work you do and for being sensitive enough to realize this might not be a good idea. Bless you!

Answer 6

Of course it's tacky and potentially offensive - but who says only seniors play Bingo? Are you going all out with wigs and make-up or just clothing? I can't imagine why you would want to wear all the polyester my mother and her friends wear, but have fun. I'd say anything you wear that doesn't expose your mid section could be found on a senior somewhere. Go play Bingo, have fun, wear what you want.

Answer 7

You do have a lot of potential based on your description but you need to develop your skills by actually playing the sport. If you're really serious about your goal then ask your parents and transfer to a school with a football team. You also need to have heart because our strongest guy who was decently fast and was around your same size was so soft and could not play well. So develop your actual football skills and you have a chance.

Answer 8

As a Hospice worker I'm sure you have a great deal of compassion. I know because I have dealt with and worked with Hospice workers. I also find myself thrown together with Hospice workers in the line of duty as a Police Chaplain from time to time. I have also done a very small amount of work in Hospice care (enough to find out that I'm not really well suited to that kind of work).

Sooooooo... I'll answer your question with a couple of my own.

What if...
You go on this outing and you find that you do give offense to someone. Then later you find yourself assigned to them in a Hospice situation... Would it make it harder for you to face them in order to minister to them? How do you think it would make them feel about having you there to help them if they recognize you?

I speak from the position of one trained to minister for crisis intervention. One of the earliest lessons I learned is similar to the "First do no harm" that doctors are taught only in our case it is... First and foremost "Give NO offense".

I personally would probably chuckle at a bunch of college kids made up to look like Carol Burnett's cleaning woman character or something of the sort but there are some who wouldn't... As you can see from some of the answers above.

Answer 9

As long as you realize how fashionable many "old" people are these days ! You didnt say what you consider "old people" - many seniors are still working professionals, so it would be a black power suit :-)

For a few others it would be motorcycle leathers - my 25 year old daughter and her friends sometimes borrow my clothes -- so it isnt ratty old cardigans and house dresses anymore --

If by "old" you mean over 80 then it could be perhaps more relaxed? But we are a pretty stylish and active young thinking group --

Stick around and get an idea what the "old people" on this site are up to, it might be a real eye opener for you and something you could do a report on for your class.

Answer 10

To be quite honest, no, I don't think you're going to offend anyone, even the cranky ones.

I have found, in my many turnarounds to Casino's, to study Senior lifestyles, that they who inhabit Casino's are only really interested in one thing, and it's not what other people are wearing. The same goes for the smaller Bingo Parlors.

They're too busy yelling BINGO, or feeding the slots to care one way or the other.

I think the theme is cute and I'm a Senior Citizen. If you have problems, tell them that this Senior said it was OK!

Have a good time!

Answer 11

Unless people are going to dress up as people in a specific era as others have said, I thin the organizers need to think a little more about this. How do older people dress? Rich older people, poor older people, older people from various ethnic groups? It doesn't seem to make much sense to me. Try another theme maybe?