From the Chartreuse Kid to the Wise Old Gnome of Tennis: Age Stereotypes as Frames Describing Andre Agassi at the U.S. Open

Abstract

Communication and aging scholars have examined media portrayals of older adults but have not yet examined media representations of aging athletes. This study examines New York Times coverage of the U.S. Open, specifically focusing on how that coverage reports Andre Agassi_s age in six different years between 1990 and 2005. Factual and implied age reference categories emerged from the data.The number of age references decreased when Agassi is the typical age for competitive tennis but increased when his level of play is atypical for his age, whether too young or too old. Qualitative analysis further revealed complex and frequently stereotypical portrayals of young and old age. The results highlight how aging stereotypes functions as media frames for athletes.