MILF Manor Is Here! So, What’s Next?

by Jeff Weiss

Let me just start off by saying that I am not a big fan of any type of reality TV. Since the genre really exploded in the 2000s (although you can argue that the first reality TV shows go back to the days of Candid Camera), I have watched, maybe, a total of one hour of reality shows.

I personally find them mindless, although perhaps the real reason why I am not into reality TV is that there haven’t been any shows (yet) that have really sparked my interest.

Which brings me to one of the latest reality shows to be launched called “MILF Manor”. The basic premise revolves around a group of women, all between the ages of 40 and 60, who are “looking for love”. The show takes place in a beautiful manor in Mexico and the women are introduced to men in their 20s who don’t have an ounce of fat to spare. Oh my! What happens next is anyone’s guess. If you haven’t heard about it or seen the trailer yet, check it out:

MILF Manor grabbed my attention for a few reasons. First, our research and many other studies show that sex is alive and well for older adults (although you would never know that if you spoke to some of my, unnamed, friends who complain about the lack of “romance” in their relationships). Many older adults say sex is better now than it was when they were younger.

Second, I appreciate that this show features some Active Aging women, as many other reality programs focus on younger individuals who I can’t relate to. It is nice to see some age diversity and it raises my interest level because of that.

And third, I have fond memories of watching The original Dating Game when I was a kid and this updated version should be a lot of fun (although I would rather see version 2.0 or 3.0 of the Dating Game with older contestants). Many Active Agers find themselves “single and ready to mingle” for various reasons and this show helps bring that to life.

However… I do have some issues with this concept. Some of the women state that they are looking for partners who have more energy and can “think outside of the box” when it comes to what happens in the bedroom (or in other rooms too I would imagine). To suggest that older men can’t be creative or energetic in the bedroom is an ageist comment and perhaps these women were just with the wrong guy(s) before heading to the Manor. In fact, I think an argument can be made that older men can be more sexually creative due to their years of experience that a 20-something year old male just won’t have!

I also think the concept is somewhat sexist as I’m not sure that a show called DILF Manor or FILF Manor (I won’t spell that out for you) would fly in today’s hyper-sensitive environment. Perhaps I am mistaken, but I think we would see some backlash if the show was about 50 and 60 year-old men who were hooking up with 20 year-old women. For obvious reasons, I doubt it would make the cut. Somehow, though, creating the scenario of older women “getting together” with younger men doesn’t seem that out of line.

I probably still won’t take the time to watch MILF Manor, although the mere fact that I am writing about it indicates that I am at least interested in the concept. I think I’ll wait for a show that highlights some of the escapades happening in certain older adult lifestyle communities across the country. Now that’s reality TV!

Feel free to contact me to share your comments or to discuss your ideas for new Active Ager reality shows.