Ekaterina Yu. ProtassovaUniversity of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
P.O. Box 4. FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
Department of Languages, Dr. hab. in Pedagogy, docent, adjunct professor
Dr. hab. in Pedagogy
adjunct professor
e-mail: ekaterina.protassova@helsinki.fi
ORCID: 0000-0002-8271-4909
Pensioners steer: TV series “Old Ladies on the Run”.Abstract: New methods to television programs necessitate new sorts of viewing, evaluation, and cultural categorization, most notably participation. The preface reveals the characteristics of the series’ lan-guage: why they capture the public’s attention, how the characters speak, what the audience remem-bers, and how they react to what they have seen on social media. Until now, older people, particularly women, have been relegated to the periphery of major television series. The exception to this rule is “Old Ladies on the Run.” The lives of three friends in their early retirement years are transformed into an adventure in which they search for self-identity and self-realization, love and the fight for women’s rights, patriotism and nostalgia, the beautiful landscapes of central Russia, and the revelation of the identity of the provincial residents. The article investigates the characters' speech traits, the narrative's key motives and conflicts, as well as social media reactions to television shows, suggesting viewers' interest in expressing their thoughts. Aging, loneliness, futility, family connections, housing concerns, attitudes toward men, life in the capital and beyond, the desire for justice, and personal satisfaction for the protagonists are all shown in the story. Despite several oddities, the picture received a sufficient rating due to its melodramatic, hilarious, and visual foundation. The groundbreaking analysis of the issues confronting elder women must continue.
Key words: ageism, volunteering, patriotism, women’s rights, the capital and the province, long female friendship, family problems, landscapes near Moscow, pensioners, spectators’ participation.
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For Citation: Protassova, E. (2021). Pensioners steer: TV series “Old Ladies on the Run”. International Journal of Cultural Research, 1(42), 6–28. DOI: 10.52173/2079-1100_2021_1_6
DOI: 10.52173/2079-1100_2021_1_6