Step away from that cliche now…

Two weeks ago, the Jewish Chronicle ran a news story about Sandi Firth, 63, from Leeds, whose son James Doran, 38, put her up for sale on eBay. Since the JC reported this, the national newspapers have gone crazy over the story. Today, the Daily Mail carries a story by Cosmo Landesman, 55, one of its more dazzlingly clever feature writers, in which he reports on how a blind date with Sandi went. So far, so much fun. Where I take issue with the coverage is in the constant repetition of grandma, granny, grandmother – and even a photo-caption in the Mail recording the “date”, which reads: “A gran day out: Cosmo Landesman on a blind date with Sandi Firth after her son advertised her on eBay”. As I said in a recent blog – enough with the “granny” puns; please do not reduce women of 60 to their biology; to their ability to reproduce children, and for their children to produce progeny. There is more to us than that, sub-editors and editors. Just step away from that cliche NOW