As ‘The Golden Bachelorette’ debuts, a UF Health researcher and wife keep watch

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — How does a researcher on aging watch tonight’s debut of ABC’s latest reality dating show, “The Golden Bachelorette?”

With equal parts anticipation and apprehension.

Christopher Kaufmann, Ph.D., a member of the University of Florida Institute on Aging whose interests are focused on the intersection of aging, sleep, and health services, will sit in front of the television with his wife, attorney Kelly Kaufmann, to see if the show highlights the brighter side of successful aging.

The pair wrote a commentary last year about the show’s predecessor, “The Golden Bachelor.”

They worried that television has a history of too adeptly falling into stereotypical tropes about older adults, often portrayed as grumpy, out of touch, lost using new technology, and a drain on society’s resources.

“Even though we’ve made great strides, we really do have a lot of work to do, and these television shows can play a big role in promoting negative stereotypes,” Christopher Kaufmann said. “You see the harm done by messaging on TV. It becomes a reflection of society. It helps shape us.”

Kelly Kaufmann added, “It has reverberations and isn’t just entertainment. Someone is going to take that message and walk into the office the next day and it will influence how some people will treat others.”

“The Golden Bachelorette” is a spinoff of 2023’s “The Golden Bachelor,” a popular program focused on a 71-year-old bachelor, Gerry Turner, and the retirement-age female bachelorettes he dated. That program was itself a spinoff of the network’s dating franchise starring much younger adults. By “The Golden Bachelor’s” conclusion, Turner married Theresa Nist, 70. The couple divorced three months later.

This time, a bachelorette is the show’s lead. That woman, Joan Vassos, is 61.

In the commentary published last year in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society before “The Golden Bachelor” aired, the Kaufmanns said they viewed the show as an “opportunity to stimulate the aging field and generate excitement about older adults as Mr. Turner and contestants step into the shoes normally filled by ‘trendy’ 20-somethings.”

It was an opportunity so long as the show avoided harmful stereotypes. Promotions ahead of the program were not encouraging, serving up a “platitude of stereotypes,” the Kaufmanns wrote.

Producers jokingly described the bachelor, Turner, as sending direct messages on social media using postage. “He gets the early bird special anytime he wants,” the ads said. “If you call him, he’ll answer the phone … Florida wants to retire and move to him.”

Lines like those made the Kaufmanns grimace. The show, however, surprised them once it aired.

“In geriatrics and gerontology, successful aging is a big thing,” said Christopher Kaufmann, referencing the combination of maintaining good health, cognitive and physical function, and social engagement as one ages. “And that show just highlighted everything that is wonderful about aging successfully. They showed active people, really engaged in life and showing the benefits of aging and some of the wonderful things that can come from it.”

Kelly Kaufmann said the show handled aging issues responsibly. “They didn’t make fun of people. They celebrated aging and the added experience it brings us.”

She was touched, for example, by a scene where Turner and a contestant bonded over hearing aids.

They expect the same responsible approach from the producers of “The Golden Bachelorette.” Even so, they remain a little wary. They have concerns, for example, about the relative youth of the show’s female lead, 61-year-old Vassos, a widow and grandmother of three.

“They’ve selected someone who challenges traditional views of aging and brings a fresh perspective to what it means to be an older adult,” said Christopher Kaufmann, an assistant professor in the UF College of Medicine’s Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics. “It’s encouraging to see how media can explore aging in a more nuanced way, though I’m still cautious about the narratives they’ll present.”

In their 2023 paper, the couple worried that a show rife with ageism would hinder the field of geriatrics, even perhaps discouraging students from pursuing it. Their paper’s conclusion, the Kaufmanns believe, is as true for “The Golden Bachelorette” as it was for “The Golden Bachelor.”

“Ultimately, the best outcome, if all players function together, would be greater respect for older adults, pushback on common ageist attitudes, and a reminder that everyone, regardless of age, deserves the opportunity to find love and respect.”