Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

My Granny the Escort, TV review: Is it the punters' gerontophile perversions that's the problem? Or society's ageist assumptions?

Focus on the women unfairly suggested that the 'problem' was all theirs

Ellen E. Jones
Friday 30 May 2014 10:22 BST
Comments
Beverley, 64, enters every room preceded by a yard of cleavage
Beverley, 64, enters every room preceded by a yard of cleavage

The voiceover narration of 33-year-old director Charlie Russell was all over My Granny the Escort (Channel 4) and he often appeared in front of camera too.

It seems fair to specify Russell's age, then, not only because of his presence in the film, but because it was the basis of his investigation: why, he asked, do so many men my age choose to see these women?

These women included 64-year-old Beverley, who entered every room preceded by a yard of cleavage; Sophie, who had cut off ties with her family so she could see clients seven days a week; and star of the show 84-year-old Sheila, outed as an escort in 2010 by the News of the World. (X Factor fans will remember her as the grandmother of contestant Katie Waissel).

There's no mystery here, young Charlie; men see these women because they want to have sex with them.

Sheila was outed as an escort in 2010 by News of the World (Channel 4)

Is it the punters' gerontophile perversions that's the problem? Or society's ageist assumptions? Is there even a problem at all?

This focus on the women suggested – unfairly, I think – that the "problem" was all theirs.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in