Wtf anyone listening to woman's hour now?

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No time to type write now but if you are I would like to discuss!

Sorry can explain now. They were interviewing Kathy Lette about raising an autistic son and her book about a mum who takes her autistic son to a prostitute. She said she had seriously considered this herself. The focus of the conversation was on the difficulties autistic people face, but I was shocked there was no acknowledgment that the prostituted women were people to, not some means to an end. And also the idea the idea hat a prostitute was some kind of solution to her son struggling to form romantic relationships. Also no acknowledgment of female autistic people. Or the fact that no-one autistic or not had a right to sex. Ifound it all very weird. The only argument against going to a prostitute seemed to be that it wasn't her scene and she was more comfortable in libraries! I didn't hear the end of the convo so I don't know if any of this did come up.

I didn't hear the conversation but it sounds sadly predictable and depressing. Men have a right to have sex, doncha know. I agree with all of your points by the way

I didn't hear it but she has written a column for this month's Good Housekeeping on the same thing - plugging the book. The whole thing was awful (although in the article she does briefly deal with some friends criticising her thinking), from the lack of thought for the women involved to the oversharing of her son's sexual development.

I read an article about this written by Kathy Lette and had similar thoughts. I'll listen to the Woman's Hour episode on iPlayer. I can't imagine the presenter just glossed over the subject.

I didn't hear WH but have heard her before and thought the same thing OP. I remember seeing a film with Helen Hunt years ago about a woman who did exactly this sort of sex work - but knowingly as a choice. I wonder why she didn't consider this.

Oh dear.

How could the parent of a child with ASD i.e. a child who struggles with social learning think that using a woman to teach her child sex is a good idea.
What could she think that it would teach him about relationships?

That you get what you pay for?!?
That women are useable, it's a financial transaction?

Teach him that there is no need for intimacy; sex is a physical act only, and here's where you practice it?

And that's my thinking without having spent time considering it in full.

Without even starting on the woman involved...I mean, would they pay extra for her teaching services?

I read her article and found it utterly appalling. I don't believe for one minute that she seriously considered paying a prostitute to sleep with her son, I think she just loves publicity (and ghastly, toe clenching puns).

Awful in every possible way. Get her off the airwaves.

Oh god Morris, the puns are truly dreadful.

Adelica, you make excellent points about what this would be likely to teach her son about sexual relationships. Ugh.

When working as a carer for people with LD's I've come across a few situations like this. Usually it ends up being organised that the clients friends or family take them to a brothel. We were not allowed to escort them ourselves but are expected to help facilitate it.

I've read an article where KL considered this. I was actually going to post a thread about it here but didn't. I was going to ask at what point, if any, raising sons blinds mothers to women's oppression... I didn't because it would have been disrespectful of posters here, but my goddess I thought it about KL.

Didn't hear WH. When I read the OP I thought 'is there no limit on what KL will do for publicity?'.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. Kathy Lette isn't someone I'm familiar with at all. What shocked me most was how the presenter (not sure who it was today) didn't seem to challenge her on it all (unless it came at the end and I missed it). Just chummy laughter and sympathy.

KL talked a lot about what 'everyone' wants for their child is for them to fall in love and get married etc etc. I thought, actually that's not what I want for DD. I want her to be happy and fulfilled in whatever form that takes. Also that it was the prostituted women's job to somehow create this circumstance for her son, when they are clearly hardly living that dream for themselves. But apparently that is by the by.

I listened to it on iPlayer and I was disgusted. The interviewer was Jenni Murray.
You can complain to the BBC. I have before now. You get a fairly standard Auntie knows best answer.

I was baffled by this interview. Partly because of her trawling for a woman to buy him, and partly because she spoke about her child so publicly.

He can hear you.

Very disappointed in Jenni Murray then

Anyone who talks about what 'everyone' does or what 'every parent' wants is usually talking bollocks

Why would she humiliate her son by broadcasting that she's taken him to a prostitute?

Apart from her own childish need for attention of course...

Awful woman

I was going to ask at what point, if any, raising sons blinds mothers to women's oppression

I've wondered this myself. I think if my mum didn't have me (as in a daughter rather than me specifically) and only had two sons she might have become slightly blind to it herself as, not to elevate my own importance, but a lot of the time it's me who's raised feminist issues with her.

I'm becoming increasingly disheartened by how so many women see women and girls, to the extent I don't think I can really articulate what I think about this well (not that I think I would otherwise). I didn't hear this but it doesn't sound great to say the least - laughing over this issue and the commodification of women. It suggests, as has been said, men are all entitled to sex and it's women's role in one way or another to provide this for them. In fact, that women's role is to provide whatever service to men they need. When this is being discussed without challenge even on Woman's Hour then it's quite a reminder of how women are viewed - even by other women. If she can see one woman as a product to buy for her son to use as he sees fit (or as she sees fit as seems to be the case) then she's endorsing and perpetuating that view of all women and girls.

Ive read some of Kathy Lettes articles before. Claims to be a feminist but actually is a man pleaser.

" that it was the prostituted women's job to somehow create this circumstance for her son, when they are clearly hardly living that dream for themselves. But apparently that is by the by."
Woman and prostitute. Bit part in someone elses life

*nolove

It suggests, as has been said, men are all entitled to sex and it's women's role in one way or another to provide this for them. In fact, that women's role is to provide whatever service to men they need.

What a pity that Jenni Murray didn't just raise this suggestion.

I imagine no amount of frantic backpedalling would have managed to negate that this is actually what she's saying.

And I agree with the previous poster who said that teaching people, particularly those with autism, that this is how to treat women, is appalling.

I'm very disappointed Jenni Murray doesn't appear to have challenged this or raised that point Datun. The normalisation of this treatment and view of women and girls is terrible.

Jeezus. Terrible on every front. I have an autistic son NO way would I want to teach him that woman are traceable commodities, nor would I broadcast details of his sex life

Tradeable not traceable obvs