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Turning Vinegar into Wine: Humorous Self-Presentations among Older GLBTQ Online Daters

Jönson, Håkan LU and Siverskog, Anna (2012) In Journal of Aging Studies 26(1). p.55-64
Abstract
Abstract in Undetermined
This study investigates humorous and self-mocking comments about age and age-related appearance among older gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual and queer advertisers in two Swedish Internet dating forums. Using a perspective where age is regarded as an accomplishment, humor was investigated as a way of relating to restrictive norms concerning age and sexuality. It was concluded that self-mocking comments, although sometimes subverting norms of age-appropriate behavior, contributed to allocating ambiguous problematic status to old age. According to this analysis, humor appeared as a form of age-salient maneuvering. If we change analytical focus and regard self-presentations as performances of marketability, the... (More)
Abstract in Undetermined
This study investigates humorous and self-mocking comments about age and age-related appearance among older gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual and queer advertisers in two Swedish Internet dating forums. Using a perspective where age is regarded as an accomplishment, humor was investigated as a way of relating to restrictive norms concerning age and sexuality. It was concluded that self-mocking comments, although sometimes subverting norms of age-appropriate behavior, contributed to allocating ambiguous problematic status to old age. According to this analysis, humor appeared as a form of age-salient maneuvering. If we change analytical focus and regard self-presentations as performances of marketability, the study illustrated that self-mocking comments on old age, being overweight, impotence and other age-related changes were in fact part of a repertoire that displayed marketable characteristics such as humor, self-distance and honesty among advertisers. The last part of the paper discusses these findings in terms of a need to focus on aspects that are relevant to the local context where the enactment is taking place, and the need to take care not to construct age and aging as the only objects of knowledge within aging research. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Journal of Aging Studies
volume
26
issue
1
pages
55 - 64
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000298462900006
  • scopus:80054909142
ISSN
0890-4065
DOI
10.1016/j.jaging.2011.07.003
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
47425841-dce5-468e-a107-52e14db7b98c (old id 2203056)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:55:12
date last changed
2022-01-26 03:40:27
@article{47425841-dce5-468e-a107-52e14db7b98c,
  abstract     = {{Abstract in Undetermined<br/>This study investigates humorous and self-mocking comments about age and age-related appearance among older gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual and queer advertisers in two Swedish Internet dating forums. Using a perspective where age is regarded as an accomplishment, humor was investigated as a way of relating to restrictive norms concerning age and sexuality. It was concluded that self-mocking comments, although sometimes subverting norms of age-appropriate behavior, contributed to allocating ambiguous problematic status to old age. According to this analysis, humor appeared as a form of age-salient maneuvering. If we change analytical focus and regard self-presentations as performances of marketability, the study illustrated that self-mocking comments on old age, being overweight, impotence and other age-related changes were in fact part of a repertoire that displayed marketable characteristics such as humor, self-distance and honesty among advertisers. The last part of the paper discusses these findings in terms of a need to focus on aspects that are relevant to the local context where the enactment is taking place, and the need to take care not to construct age and aging as the only objects of knowledge within aging research.}},
  author       = {{Jönson, Håkan and Siverskog, Anna}},
  issn         = {{0890-4065}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{55--64}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Journal of Aging Studies}},
  title        = {{Turning Vinegar into Wine: Humorous Self-Presentations among Older GLBTQ Online Daters}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaging.2011.07.003}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.jaging.2011.07.003}},
  volume       = {{26}},
  year         = {{2012}},
}