Tag Archives: O’Reilly

Ageism and sexism at the BBC

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Michelle Moist - soon to be grinding farm machinery on Country File

The BBC swatted aside further accusations of ageism and sexism recently after 24 year-old ‘Michelle Moist’ star of adult channel Babestation,  was chosen to replace 53 year-old Countryfile presenter Miriam O’ Reilly.

BBC managers have insisted Moist was approached ‘purely for her deep appreciation of issues affecting the rural community’, and she is now to present the weekly  show in her own inimitable style, by rubbing her pelvic bone against a selected item of farm machinery each week while mouthing in detail the best way to take advantage of the Common Agricultural Policy.

But serisoulsy, two years after Miriam O’Reilly, now 53, was sacked from countryfile, she’s won an ageism case against the BBC.

Jan Moir in the Daily Mail suggests this ageism isn’t much of a problem, pointing out that it’s only in the sphere of presenting that women are discriminated against, while behind the scenes there are pleanty of older women working in senior positions in the BBC.  Moir’s point of view can, however be dismissed – a quick review of her articles reveal that she writes opinionated pieces based on unrepresentative samples.

Alan Yentob in The Guardian makes a similar point, but his opinion can be discounted because he is creative director for the BBC.

Personally I think both these people miss the point – the real problem with the BBC dismissing O’Reilly  is the sexism – not the Ageism  – given that there are plenty of older men working as presenters – and all her dismissal can do is to reinforce the idea that women should judge themselves by their youth and their looks, while for men this isn’t as important.