Wednesday’s edition of the Chicago Tribune featured a story by Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz that explores relationships between younger men and older women.
The piece, Age Gap: She’s Old Enough to Be His… Wife (one of the best titles I’ve read in a while), GMP contributor Charlie Capen of How To Be A Dad talks about his marriage to the lovely Avara, 8 years his senior, and what life is like as the boy-toy of the relationship:
“When she’d start to talk about Duran Duran or Erasure, I was like, ‘What are you talking about?'” said Charlie Capen, now 31 and married to Avara, 39, for eight years.
Aside from light teasing about divergent pop culture references, and occasional jokes that Avara will trade Charlie in for a younger model, the age gap barely registers in their romance, even as society still looks askance at the pairing of an older woman with a younger man.
Even more exciting, GMP’s own Editor-in-chief Noah Brand spills the goods about a relationship he had with a woman 19 years his senior, as well as the reasons he appreciates having relationships with women who are older:
Noah Brand, 35, said recently he has preferred dating older women after several relationships with younger women “melted down in drama storms.” With older women, “you get less drama, better communication,” he said.
Don’t like ads? Become a supporter and enjoy The Good Men Project ad free“It’s nice to be dating someone who is on equal footing as you or even knows more than you, has been places you haven’t,” said Brand, who lives in Portland, Ore., and is the editor in chief of The Good Men Project, a social movement that explores modern manhood.
Brand dated a woman 19 years older for several months, when he was 32 and she was 51, and said comparing different generational touchstones made it interesting.
What do you think about relationships that break the traditional older-man/younger-woman mold? Have you ever dated a woman significantly older than you?
What age gap do you think works best in relationships?
Also read Recovering Her Youth With Duran Duran by Charlie Capen
Maybe you want to check it out or tell your friends too! Love knows no age, when you find true love, you will not care about the age, all you will care about is spending forever with him/her.I strongly recommend Cougar-dating-sites to the Cougar Singles who are seeking Younger Men relationships! It’s never easy to have a perfect person as your partner.
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I do not have any interest in older women. The big reason is that I’m 71.
When I read the newspaper comics, I know Blondie Bumstead is out of my league but I look at Mary Worth and think, Not Bad!
There are not many responses to this subject here, whys that? Is it because this a mans magazine and men dont really care about the age gap as much as women do? I see all sorts of reactions from women, tak e just marriage of Sam Taylor Johnson to Aaron(20 years her junior). They where crucified when they started dating, and now after 4 years and 2 kids together, media opinion has mellowed down. Im a woman in my 40es and this summer was relentlessly pursued by 20year olds. I was very worried about getting romantically involved because of the… Read more »
As a man, doesn’t bother me long as both are adults and consenting. Good luck to them, hope they find love.
I totally agree with older women/younger men relationship is a good experience for younger men. Older women needs to be more with younger men. I love seeing older women with younger men. They can teach younger men alot of things.
I can’t date men my age, they are way to insecure, prejudiced and quite frankly, limited. I’ve been on dates with -5 than me and they are much more fun and more open-minded to all aspects of life. Madonna and J-Lo, I understand you. I know it is not exactly a generation issue, that there are older, more open minded man, just not sure if still on the market…
My long-term cohabitating partner is younger than I am. He is also the most wonderful person I have ever dated, in all ways, and a true equal when it comes to emotional depth/stability, intellectual curiosity, philosophy of life, and basic values. We have similar backgrounds, educations, and professional employment as well as some of the same interests, and are great pals as well as romantic partners. All of those things trump any artificial expectations about who should be the older of the two in a couple. I’ve dated people younger, older, and the same age as me. Once you’re out… Read more »
I occasionally dated older guys when I was in my 20’s-early 30’s. I found the generation gap jarring. There was a huge difference in culture between Baby Boomer men and a Gen X woman like myself. Music, politics, overall views on life, it was a constant clash. Now that I’m in my 40’s, I could see myself dating a little younger but not too much because I don’t think I could relate to the “younger generation” either. I feel most in tune with guys around my own age, maybe +/- 5 years.
I’m happy to date about 8 years my senior or junior. 20-35ish, I am 27. Some of the best relationships I’ve seen though have had a younger wife, I dunno why but it’s just how it seems to be. I’m sure older wife younger husband dynamic can be very successful but it all depends on the people more than their age, a dramaqueen at 20 may or may not still be one at 30. I ignore age mostly and go more for maturity levels, usually it seems to be based on decade, like 20’s, 30’s, life status (are they out… Read more »
“GMP contributor Charlie Capen of How To Be A Dad talks about his marriage to the lovely Avara, 8 years his senior, and what life is like as the boy-toy of the relationship:” The term “boy-toy” is quite insulting to the husband and denigrates their relationship. Can’t we just treat them as any normal couple and not as a curiosity. “What do you think about relationships that break the traditional older-man/younger-woman mold?” “What age gap do you think works best in relationships?” Do people have to have an opinion on these issues? When two people are happy together the opinion… Read more »
I think this is terrific. Women need to get out of this mindset of thinking something is wrong with dating/fucking or marrying younger men. Women do pretty much everything else they want, so what’s the big deal. Since younger men are less like to be high status, it would also get a lot women out of this hypergamy mindset. Finally, it should perk up their libidos. Did you know that of the women in this country who are between 50-69, fully 50% indicated in the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior (NSSHB) that they had zero sexual intercourse in… Read more »
What do you think about relationships that break the traditional older-man/younger-woman mold? Frankly I don’t think about them much at all – I’ve been too busy myself having relationships with other men where there have been age differences as high as 45+! Athletic, Body Building, Church Ministers Academics (Prof) don’t come along that often – so one does have to grab them whilst one can. P^) Of course, as I have matured I have even had the opportunity to have a go at -20+ and then -30+! I do have to say that such age differences do tend to get… Read more »
“I find that the only issue where a gap may have significance is sexuality – and even, that is not a deal breaker for everyone!”
I dont know about that, older women are more knowledgeable about their sexuality. The best sex I ever had was actually with older women. They know what they like and they how to get it. There are other issues that may hunt down the realationship, but unless the woman wasent a ex nun sexuality isnt one of them.
@The Blurpo….
The Elephant in the Room is menopause. Sexual desire drops significantly for most post-menopausal women.
It is very difficult to find post-menopausal women who want sex more than twice a month. Hence, sexuality is a problem depending on age…Don’t kid yourself.
If you’re in your 20s and dating a woman in her 30s, that is a different matter.
But, I am all for women dating younger men. They really need to become more open in a number of areas. I think this will help them to become better partners.
” The Elephant in the Room is menopause. Sexual desire drops significantly for most post-menopausal women. It is very difficult to find post-menopausal women who want sex more than twice a month. Hence, sexuality is a problem depending on age…Don’t kid yourself. If you’re in your 20s and dating a woman in her 30s, that is a different matter. But, I am all for women dating younger men. They really need to become more open in a number of areas. I think this will help them to become better partners. ” I dont know that. I only know from my… Read more »