Is Old still Gold?
An adage of “Old is Gold” has often been mentioned on and off in conversations, but in the world of fast paced changes and disruptions across various industries, there are eyebrows raised on this saying and it is difficult to verify the same across different industries. The past 2 months have seen the adage coming to fruition with the old and experienced people ruling the roost across industries. The two prominent industries where age makes a significant difference is in sports and the entertainment industry. Both rely on fitness, art and fan following as well. 2023 has seen an uptick in the experience and old folks of the industry dominating their respective industries.
This year has seen Shahrukh Khan, aged 27 years, take Bollywood by storm with his mega blockbuster Pathaan. On the other hand, not too old but 34-year-old Virat Kohli has been ruling the run charts while MS Dhoni, aged 41 still garners maximum views on IPL compared to any other young sensation. In this fast paced and ever-changing landscape, such instances come as a surprise. It is worth mentioning that industry is laden with super talented people who have the ability to attract massive crowds with their aura and performance, but the experience and well-established following of the old and golden stars is still intact. The question that is worth pondering is whether old will always remain gold or we will see a new uprising as it has happened over generations. While only time will tell but let us see what is driving the old to still be golden in their respective industries.
1. Fitness is not a myth: Both the entertainment industry and sports industry rely on improving fitness standards. The experience and old and golden stars have understood the need for placing high priority on their fitness. This has ensured that they stay on par or do better than the young Turks in terms of fitness standards. This brings about the feeling of neutrality across generations and people can still relate to the old folks. In addition, the sports are heavily skewed towards increased fitness standards. The technique matched with fitness standards has ensured that Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni stay abreast with the game and even give the young turks a run for their money.
2. The quest to remain unchallenged and constantly improve: The human tendency to never give up is a sign of greatness and the people of the statue of Shahrukh Khan or MS Dhoni have it ingrained in them to constantly improve with changing times and ensure that they do not fall behind in the pecking order as the new generational talent comes to the fore. Shahrukh Khan’s ability to do action sequences which can match that of Tom Cruise is a testament to the fact that no age is too old to improve.
3. Unearthing raw talent: There are multiple talents brewing up in the entertainment industry and sporting industry, but we are yet to see a once in a generation talent like Virat Kohli or Shahrukh Khan who can sustain their success over long periods of time. This has ensured that the public’s attention is diverted for a short while, but their loyalties still lie with these yesteryear stars.
4. Self-bias effect is strong with the present and older generation: Self bias effect of sticking to old things and taking time to adapt to changes is an inherent nature in humans which is difficult to counter. BY the time self-bias effect wears off for the public with the newbies in the industry, the old and experienced folks make a comeback which is too strong to ignore and rubs off any self-bias effect that was wearing out.
The conclusion is that old is still gold and will remain gold unless a generational talent comes to the fore to disrupt the determination of the super stars.
