Age discrimination and dancers

[Spin dryer]

I've just received an email from a very well known dance organisation which includes the following advertisement:

Dancers Required
Athletic dancers (30 to 40) required for Photo Shoot
Male and Female dancers with good physique required for photo shoot to take place in April/May 2007 (date TBC). Dancers should be athletic (but not body builders) in their thirties, and able to enjoy being in front of a camera..Fee will be in the region of £400 per dancer. If you are interested, please email current photos to .....or call on.........

It's not my area of law, but I'm not ignorant of the fact that age discrimination is now illegal.

And what is good physique code for - slim, busty, muscly, sinewy? I guess we can translate it as meaning hot.

[drathzel]

I've just received an email from a very well known dance organisation which includes the following advertisement:



It's not my area of law, but I'm not ignorant of the fact that age discrimination is now illegal.

And what is good physique code for - slim, busty, muscly, sinewy? I guess we can translate it as meaning hot.

The whole too old/too young thing is being cracked down upon and shouldnt really be allowed, however whenever anyone if doing modeling work there is always a "look" you need to have, normally these things are not as blantant as a company can go to a modeling agency and say to the agent "i want xyz" but as this dance company doesn't have this filtering system i suppose they have to say it as it is.

I personally dont think age, height, size or bubblegum flavour makes someone more beautiful or aesthetically pleasing.

[Spin dryer]

I personally dont think age, height, size or bubblegum flavour makes someone more beautiful or aesthetically pleasing.

It's the received wisdom that the more symmetrical the face and body, the more attractive the person. Yet paradoxically, it's the the little quirks that people have that often make them more attractive.

As we all know, it's the way someone carries themselves that makes them attractive or otherwise, regardless of the physical assets that fate bestowed upon them.

[Trousers]

I was about to say 'awww get a life' then ask you to forward the email - I could do with £400


but then. . . .




. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . I stopped. . .




. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . I felt a little sad





. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .. I'm 43!


Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

[fletch]

43 who you kidding must have been a very tough paper round







'Fletch runs off quick to change her D.O.B. on profil'

[Double Trouble]

I'm 43!

Now that is a stroke of bad luck, Trousers. Especially as you as you meet all the other criteria.

[Spin dryer]

I felt a little sad





. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .. I'm 43!

I'm 29 and feel equally sad.

[Freya]

I Know Age discrimination is wrong but it still happens. What is the Photo shoot for! Maybe it's looking at people in their thirties and what they di with life therefore they may want like for like! It's all very well saying this could be done by someone in their 30's and then post a picture of two early twenty year-olds! It could be off putting!

[TurboTomato]

Not sure what the problem is here If a fashion magazine was advertising for models then they'd be asking for late teens/early twenties, so how is that different? I don't think age discrimination applies for models in photoshoots... doesn't really make any sense IMO. If they want to shoot a certain age of model then that's their choice.

[straycat]

It's not my area of law, but I'm not ignorant of the fact that age discrimination is now illegal.

And what is good physique code for - slim, busty, muscly, sinewy? I guess we can translate it as meaning hot.

Having listened to an interview in which one of the people behind the new age discrimination laws explained how the laws were supposed purely to stop some of more grossly unfair examples of age discrimination, but other than that were supposed to be treated with common sense... and then found out some of the ridiculous ways in which it's being implemented... (eg a friend who can no longer call a teenage apprentice 'young man' - or the local bus company who had to scrap a whole advertising campaign because it revolved around a poster depicting a young-looking couple getting on a bus - I kid you not)

I have to ask - in what way can this be seen as a piece of age discrimination? They want to do a photoshoot to give a particular impression, and want a particular look to accomplish it. Where's the problem? I think it's safe to say that although I'm in the right age range, I don't have the 'athletic' look they're calling for - should I feel 'discriminated' against? I don't think so....

[Dreadful Scathe]

Not sure what the problem is here If a fashion magazine was advertising for models then they'd be asking for late teens/early twenties, so how is that different? I don't think age discrimination applies for models in photoshoots... doesn't really make any sense IMO. If they want to shoot a certain age of model then that's their choice.

if they want a certain type of person they need to ask for it. I don't see the problem either!

[Spin dryer]

As far as I'm concerned there is no problem. I was merely interested and surprised from a legal perspective, given the new law.

[Twirlie Bird]

Could you forward me the e-mail

[Double Trouble]

You can't stop age discrimination.

When anyone applies for a job at the company I work for, we are no longer allowed to ask their age, so to get around that, we ask them when they left school. Simply really. All the old duffers applications go straight in the bin.

[TurboTomato]

When anyone applies for a job at the company I work for, we are no longer allowed to ask their age, so to get around that, we ask them when they left school. Simply really. All the old duffers applications go straight in the bin.

Still can't give you rep

[Twirly]

Actually, there is some discrimination going on here, although that could be commercial as it might be two different companies involved. Not sure why Spin Dryer decided to only put one advert up, but the e-mail I received had the followig:

Ballet/Contemporary dancers required for photo shoot on Tuesday 17th April
We are looking for one male and one female dancers in their mid-twenties with a great physique, for a Beauty photo shoot. Dancers will be required to wear nude colour costumes so that images can be projected onto them. The theme being nature and organic shapes. Dancers should have pale skin and ladies should have long hair. Photo shoot to take place in London on Tuesday 17th of April from 9am to 6pm. Casting to take place Thursday 12th April. Fee £450 to £500 per dancer. If you are interested, please email current photos to...

Athletic dancers (30 to 40) required for Photo Shoot
Male and Female dancers with good physique required for photo shoot to take place in April/May 2007 (date TBC). Dancers should be athletic (but not body builders) in their thirties, and able to enjoy being in front of a camera..Fee will be in the region of £400 per dancer. If you are interested, please email current photos to...

So if you're in your 20's you're clearly worth more than if you're in your 30's

And presumably the bit about how you look basically means "not fat".

[Double Trouble]

And presumably the bit about how you look basically means "not fat".

That's Spin Dryer out on two counts then.





*runs, hides and awaits reported post PM*

[Green-eyed Monsta]

...We are looking for one male and one female dancers in their mid-twenties with a great physique...


Athletic dancers (30 to 40) required for Photo Shoot
Male and Female dancers with good physique required ...

So if you're in your 20's you're clearly worth more than if you're in your 30's

Couldn't the difference in the money offered be due to the difference between a great physique and a good physique?

[Spin dryer]

Actually, there is some discrimination going on here, although that could be commercial as it might be two different companies involved. Not sure why Spin Dryer decided to only put one advert up, but the e-mail I received had the followig:



So if you're in your 20's you're clearly worth more than if you're in your 30's

And presumably the bit about how you look basically means "not fat".

I thought you'd made that up at first, as it made me laugh! I now see that the second ad wasn't in the most recent email from ceroc London (it was in last week's). So we have race issues as well as age issues!

[Dreadful Scathe]

So if you're in your 20's you're clearly worth more than if you're in your 30's

you sure you're not reading motivation that isn't there? different jobs , different prices - perhaps its that simple

And presumably the bit about how you look basically means "not fat".

They do specifically say good/great physique - which means exactly that. This would disallow fat, skinny, not muscular people etc.. so to highlight "not fat" is looking for a negative from a positive statement. "good/great" are very positive things to say surely?