Hello My Edges,
I’ve had an interesting week relating to sexual offenders (you wanted ‘edgy’, right?!).
I interviewed Chris Hansen, the American TV presenter from ‘To Catch A Predator’, the show where they worked with police to catch offenders using decoy actors. That episode will be out in a couple of weeks.
I received an email from a listener who told me they were abused as a child by a very famous Hollywood actor. I can’t name that actor, because I could be sued for libel, as I can’t prove the story. I’m not sure what to do with the information as yet.
Wednesday, I’ll be co-hosting the Shaun Attwood show on his YouTube channel, where we’ll be talking about the controversies around abusers in the celebrity world.
I released a clip of an interview I did with a child sex offender from a documentary I filmed last year about abuse in Germany.
This has all coincided with the release of the two-part Jimmy Savile documentary on Netflix.
Which led me to wonder:
Is one ‘born’ or ‘made’ a paedophile.
Perhaps this is a bit much for those of you getting this email in the morning (State-side). But it’s a fascinating question.
There is no real consensus. Many academics believe that it is a sexuality that cannot be changed.
However, when I spoke to Donald Findlater (that’s his surname, not a note to editor) -the head of the UK’s Stop It Now charity - he told me he believes that paedophilia is actually an illness that can be changed.
When I put it to him that this sounded a little like gay conversion, he told me the difference is that homosexuality is a sexuality. The p-word - for him - is not. He contends that many of these men seek the comfort of children, because they don’t know how to socialise with adults. He teaches them to be around - and climax to images of - adults, in the hope of curing them.
Findlater is something of an outlier in the industry, though. I am interviewing expert Dr. James Cantor on the podcast to find out more in the coming weeks.
I think that the condition is somewhere between the two - genetic and environmental. One therapist in Germany told me that he believes that some men get ‘stuck’ at an age when they experienced trauma. For most of us, our Age of Attraction rises as we age and pass through puberty. But for these people, something goes wrong.
This might explain Jimmy Savile, who was the youngest of 7 children, and developed a strange relationship with his physically abusive mother (who he knew as The Duchess). He grew up in the Great Depression, and his father was ‘scrupulously broke’. He nearly died at 2 from pneumonia, and his family had given him up for dead. He suffered from spinal injuries while working in coal mines as a teenager.
Did a broken childhood contribute to the monster he became? Or did the monster lie in waiting within?
Edge News
I have started uploading daily clips to the YouTube channel. One of these was a video version of last week’s newsletter, which you can find here:
I’m about to pass 4,000 subscribers on YouTube (help me get over the line). And the audio platforms are getting 200k listens monthly. Thank you for your support - the podcast is nothing without you.
I’ve just handed in the 4th chapter of 10 for my book about the psychology of secrets. It’ll be out early 2024, published by Pan Macmillan.
Here’s what’s coming up on the podcast:
On the Edge With Andrew Gold Podcast: This Week
Monday: Ep. 107 - Chris Atkins on A Bit of a Stretch
Chris is also fantastic and very funny. He’s a documentary maker and journalist who went down for dodgy taxes and spent 2.5 years in Wandsworth Prison. His book, A Bit of a Stretch documents his time inside, and it’s as hilarious as it is moving.
Thursday: Ep. 108 - Lloyd Evans on bullying and his fall from grace
Lloyd Evans is an old friend of mine, and also the biggest name in the ex-Jehovah’s Witness world. His influence there is HUGE. But news has come to light of his extra-marital affairs with prostitutes and trips to Thailand. Much of the community has turned against him…are they right to judge him for affairs with sex workers? Or is that his own private business? This one is fiery, so make sure to listen.
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Join me for a chat
Tonight (Monday) at 9pm UK | 4pm ET | 1pm PT, I’ll be in the chat for the premiere of today’s episode with Chris Atkins. Come join us, even if it’s just for a minute to say hello in the chat on the side. You have to be signed into YouTube for the chat to show. Usually, between 5 and 35 people come along, so it’s a nice chance to meet other listeners. Set a reminder here:
I’ll be seeing you On the Edge,
Andrew
In regards to the person’s whose story you can’t collaborate; could you interview the person & blurr their face & have a disclaimer that states that you cannot substantiate the story?
Lloyd—I think this is making me so nervous to listen to (although I will). I haven’t listened to any of Lloyd’s new content. It really upset me but I think Do I have a right to feel that way? It’s his business. 💁🏻♀️