9: Dr Caroline West

Probably best to have the number for Liveline on speed dial for this one as this week’s guest on Be Grand is Doctor Caroline West.  A writer and lecturer who holds a PhD and MA in Sexuality Studies, Caroline is the host of the excellent Glow West podcast as well as a sex columnist for Evoke and she swings by the studio to discuss Ireland’s troubled relationship with sex, its history as a taboo subject in Irish society and the disastrous consequences of this suppression that has left the country playing catch-up in terms of sex positivity. There’s also a discussion on how sex is often portrayed on TV, ranging from the cringe-inducing mistakes that blight the depiction, to the impact of Eurotrash on a younger Caroline’s worldview, and the trouble with Normal People*. And we ain’t talking about Paul Mescal’s shorts, here. Finally, there’s the story of how Caroline and another former guest on Be Grand once got into a heated debate with an Irish TV personality on The Sugarhill Gang.  Look, this is Be Grand - you want sophisticated discussion, you listen to the London Review of Books podcast, okay? Remember to like, review and subscribe or even recommend us to a friend. Stay safe and take care! https://iamcarolinewest.com (https://iamcarolinewest.com/) https://twitter.com/CarolineWest_IE https://twitter.com/glow_west_ https://twitter.com/HiAndyGaffney https://twitter.com/gottheshift https://www.instagram.com/begrandpod/