That was a comment made by Debbie Arnold about Joan Collins (above) on the popular breakfast TV show Good Morning Britain. And no, we haven’t turned the clock back 30 years, this statement was made in September 2023. It exemplifies very clearly that ageism and sexism are alive and well.

The topic of discussion was older women as sex symbols. Debbie’s full comment was in response to one presenter saying that Joan was a sex symbol:

“Come on, really. A sex symbol is someone you want to have sex with. If you had sex with Joan, she would fall to pieces. You you really think men want to have sex with her now?”

Joan, born in 1933, is a famous actor, author, and philanthropist with a longstanding career in the film and TV industry. As well as being a multi-award winning actor, she is without doubt a British icon.

Debbie, also an actor, is aged 68 herself which begs the question: why would she make such a statement about Joan? Did she mean it? Was it a flippant comment? Was it to be purposefully controversial and draw attention to herself?

These are questions that only Debbie can answer. I’m interested in why the idea of older adults being sexually desiring and desirable is considered distasteful. What is it about being older that detaches people from being seen as sexually agentic and our sexual expression denied or derided?

Debbie’s comment took me back to 2001 when I first started out as a sex researcher, exploring the topic of sexual well-being at midlife and beyond. Ageist remarks about sexuality were commonplace, embedded in society in such a way that they were easily missed. They were normalised.

I am so pleased that there has been change in social attitudes and there is now more visibility and acceptability of older adults as sexual beings. But it is disheartening to know that strong ageist views still exist. You would be forgiven for thinking this was 1993 not 2023.

Full story as reported in the Daily Mail
Photo credit: Joan Colin’s Instagram