Friday, June 06, 2008
JAM TODAY
Further to this post by Ziggi about the unfair advantages that men have over women when it comes to ageing (well, off at a tangent really, but it's still about gender difference).
If a middle aged divorced woman starts dating a man who's any more than a couple of years younger than her, she'll probably mull over things in this way:
"I know he's younger than me but he's really gorgeous and I seriously like him, but ... it just doesn't seem right. What will everyone think? Someone of my age hanging around with him - it looks pathetic, as if I'm trying to relive my youth. Maybe I'm still too immature to be with a man of my own age. Perhaps I can't find a man of my own age. It could just be that he's only hanging around with me because I earn more money than him. We won't have anything in common because he'll probably want to go out clubbing every night whereas I'm too old to be socialising in that way. Perhaps it looks as if I'm in denial about the fact that I'm not as young or good looking as I used to be. He's bound to get bored of me because he's too young to settle down. All of his friends will take the piss out of him for being on the arm of this fat old bag and he'll give in to peer pressure. Maybe it's cynicism on my part - because it'll only be a fling I'll end up with another younger man and another one, until I become a lonely, miserable spinster. Why can't I go out with a man of my own age who has the same life experience and who I have something in common with? Is there something wrong with me?"
A middle aged divorced man who's dating a twenty one year old girl will probably mull over things in this way:
"...
....
....
she's very mature for a twenty one year old."
... and that'll be the last you'll hear about it.
If a middle aged divorced woman starts dating a man who's any more than a couple of years younger than her, she'll probably mull over things in this way:
"I know he's younger than me but he's really gorgeous and I seriously like him, but ... it just doesn't seem right. What will everyone think? Someone of my age hanging around with him - it looks pathetic, as if I'm trying to relive my youth. Maybe I'm still too immature to be with a man of my own age. Perhaps I can't find a man of my own age. It could just be that he's only hanging around with me because I earn more money than him. We won't have anything in common because he'll probably want to go out clubbing every night whereas I'm too old to be socialising in that way. Perhaps it looks as if I'm in denial about the fact that I'm not as young or good looking as I used to be. He's bound to get bored of me because he's too young to settle down. All of his friends will take the piss out of him for being on the arm of this fat old bag and he'll give in to peer pressure. Maybe it's cynicism on my part - because it'll only be a fling I'll end up with another younger man and another one, until I become a lonely, miserable spinster. Why can't I go out with a man of my own age who has the same life experience and who I have something in common with? Is there something wrong with me?"
A middle aged divorced man who's dating a twenty one year old girl will probably mull over things in this way:
"...
....
....
she's very mature for a twenty one year old."
... and that'll be the last you'll hear about it.
Labels: feminism, gender differences, men - general uselessness of, women - their own worst enemies
