Younger Men / Older Women - what is the perception of society on this pairing?
By lvaldean
@lvaldean (1612)
United States
April 22, 2008 11:03am CST
There are many examples of Older Men / Younger Woman and society seems to accept this as almost a right of passage. Make your money and exchange your wife / partner for a newer model. We see this everyday in the society and gossip sections of the news and don't look twice.
But what about the opposite pairing, that of the Younger Man / Older Woman. This is still a newer phenomenoun, at least where the age difference is significant such as that between Demi and Ashton.
Why is that we find this pairing so hard to swallow? What is it about the Younger Man / Older Woman that society finds offensive or bothersome?
Interested in perspectives from both women and men.
3 people like this
6 responses
@se7enthbird (8307)
• Philippines
1 May 08
i am from the philippines. and some younger women get married with an older man because of financial reason. well i am not speaking for everybody but i am only speaking based on my observation. but there are also who get married because of love. i have a singer who is just 23 when she got married to her 40 years old husband. they both live now in australia. some people in our country sees this as a scape goat but i dont think that applies to everyone. i am younger than 5 years than my wife. though it is not much years apart my family stills has this say for this. well i think it is natural for some people specially the nosey ones to stick their noses on other peoples lives.
@polachicago (18716)
• United States
8 Jun 08
My boyfriend is about 15 years younger than myself.
We are together for over 10 years, yet people always have a problem with it.
It is hard to see our age difference. Yet, when people know how old I am , they start talking to me as I am totally crazy and to him to change for younger woman.
Some of his friends tried to make us apart without success.
We don't care as long as we agree with each other.....
@CoffeeAnyone (3210)
• Canada
26 Apr 08
How young are we talking? A few years either way is not a big deal. I am sometimes discusted by the difference in ages and sometimes I just feel so sad about it. It really depends on the situation and how big the gap is. To much older and I think they should live the young ones to live there lives with someone their own age.
@lvaldean (1612)
• United States
26 Apr 08
So the question is why? Why would you make a judgment on this?
I think this is what I am getting at. Would you make the same judgment if you saw an older man with a younger woman? Most in society would not they would think it was perfectly normal.
Demi Moore Kutcher is married to a man 15 years her junior and both are apparently quite happy in their choice of partner.
Ivan Trump recently married her partner of 6 years who is 24 years her junior.
There are many other examples of celebs today. But in the everyday world this is happening more and more. So why if both people are happy in their choice of partners would any age gap bother you? Why would you feel saddened? Why would you assume that it is the older woman who is pursuing the younger man and "should leave them to live their own lives with someone their own age" as you put it?
These by the way are the types of statements that caused me to ask the question in the first place. They seem very insensitive at least on the surface.
@emma412 (1156)
• United States
22 Apr 08
I say good for these women! I know it's not as accepted in society as a male marrying a younger woman but I think it's drawing closer to a norm. I think it just goes to show that sometimes age really is just a number. It is more about the connection you have with a person than the age they are.
@lvaldean (1612)
• United States
22 Apr 08
I believe that women are looked at quite differently who make a decision to marry a much younger man. Certainly men who marry a much older woman are looked at differently.
I agree that it is about connections, emotional, commumication, trust, dreams -- all sorts of connections. Still and all the social issues abound.
Like many other "mis-pairings" though I think society has a long ways to go before this particular one becomes a norm.
@scarlet_035 (53)
• Philippines
10 May 08
There is this seminar on Gender Awareness which i miised to attend, but the re echo was in short this...
Women as oppposed to what majority thinks, are scientifically active when they reach over thirty.
Majority believes especially the Men that women starts to get inactive as they get older. That is why in my opinion the society rather finds it not right for an older woman to get involve with a younger man. They do not see them as two people inlove. Their focus is on the woman, they picture the woman to be overly active.
