18 year age gap with woman

professore wrote: »

The main reason is because WOMEN comment on these things. Men generally couldn't care less. "Socially accepted" actually means "socially accepted by women".

There could be something to that. Women are very much the backbone of social society and how such things are viewed. Thinking back when I was in "age gap" relationships the men I knew rarely if ever commented, I did get more comments, usually in the negative from women. To be precise women acquaintances, women friends no, they were supportive(and more openly so, as I have found women mates to be in general. Unless you've a limb hanging off by a vein, or need help with stripping gearboxes men mates tend to be meh about such things ).

One time(in band camp) I was in an age gap relationship and she was 14 years younger, a woman mate of mine was also in an age gap relationship and he was 8 years younger. She got significantly more attention and stick about it than me and again nearly all from women, including some of her mates. Our respective partners families were different too in that hers had more oars in the water as far as opinions go. When the relationships went south and ended this difference was just as noticeable. I got support and sympathy, she got support, but there was more a sense of relief as "it couldn't have worked out you know".

So yeah in my experience anyway age gaps, particularly ones around the ten year or more mark, are much more readily accepted where the man is the elder than if the woman is and no amount of cougar and MILF memes seem to have made a difference. They seem to have made it more accepted in casual hookups though. That said I have known many more couples where she was the older one than I knew of 20 years ago, so that's progress of a sort. They also seem more resilient over time than older guy, younger woman setups, or at least in my small corner of the world. I can think of a few Boards couples where she's the older one and happy out they are and fair play.