Are Hearing Aids Now Golden?

A handsome man is dressing for an important event. He eyes his reflection in the mirror as he smooths his hair, tightens the knot on his tie, and adjusts his cufflinks. It is the Golden Bachelor, and he is getting ready to meet dozens of women vying for his attention. He dons his suit jacket, and as the music swells, he adds the final touch to his look—a pair of silver behind-the-ear hearing aids.

Does the romantic music screech to a halt? Not this time. For the Golden Bachelor, hearing aids are an essential accessory. And one that helps him to shine.

Golden Bachelor breaking through aging stigmas

The Golden Bachelor, the latest version of the long-running ABC TV hit The Bachelor, is breaking through many societal stigmas of aging. It shows how love at any age can be passionate, beautiful, and heartbreaking. That people of all ages need affection and connection. That zest for life has no expiration date. Can the show shatter the long-standing stigma of hearing aids, too?

I haven’t watched The Bachelor series in years. But when I saw that the latest season would feature Gerry Turner, a 71-year-old man with hearing aids, I was curious. Would the producers use Gerry’s hearing aids to make him look foolish like producers had in other television shows? Or would they simply hide the devices, shooting Gerry only from the front so his aids wouldn’t show?

Neither is the case. Gerry’s “ear candy,” as one of the women hoping to find love called her hearing aids (yes, some of the women have them too!), are regularly visible. They are even featured in the show’s teaser as described above.

What a terrific way to break down the stigma of using hearing devices!

Using hearing aids is no big deal

Normalizing hearing aids makes it more likely that people struggling with their hearing will give hearing aids a try. Often people suffer for years in silence because the stigma and shame they feel hold them back from seeking treatment.

This was the case for my father. He internalized the stigma society placed on hearing loss and did everything he could to avoid it. His urgency to keep his hearing loss a secret hurt his career and damaged his relationships with family and friends. Rather than ask for the help he needed to communicate, he isolated himself from almost everyone.

For many years, I followed in his footsteps, hiding my hearing loss so nobody would see me as damaged or weak. It wasn’t until I had children that my priorities changed. My hearing loss is genetic, so I worried that I may have passed it on to them. I saw them watching me doing the same things I had seen my father do—being embarrassed by my hearing loss and isolating myself in difficult social settings—and realized I was passing on the same stigma and shame.

I needed to end the cycle. So, I did.

A role model for healthy hearing and active aging

Things might have been easier for my father and me if we had had better role models. Luckily, now there is one. Gerry wears his devices with ease. He is not embarrassed or ashamed. He isn’t isolating himself socially to avoid a communication blunder or missing out on a new activity for fear he can’t participate.

Quite the opposite.

I can’t think of a better embodiment of the benefits of acknowledging and treating your hearing loss than Gerry. Not only is he attractive and kind, but he is also active and loves adventure. He is vibrant and the center of attention. And many attractive women fell in love with him. Hearing aids and all.

Thank you, Gerry, for not only raising the bar for the way hearing aids are portrayed on television but for setting that bar so high.

Will the world ever think of hearing aids the same way again? Let’s hope not.