Columns Mar 28, 2012 at 4:00 am

Boys, Boys, Boys

Comments

1
All three, spot on!

Your advice to WASTED should be in calligraphy, framed, and hung on the walls of every single high school bathroom, male or female.
2
Cheers Dan. Thank you for a very sane column.
3
Re: question 1: When my gay friend (I'm female) was 19, he hooked up with a guy who was in his 40s. That weirded me out (I was 20). Granted, my friend wasn't living with his parents at the time, so he could do what he wanted. Friend is now 32 and doesn't seem scarred from the experience.
4
An excellent study in NOT having double standards. Well said, Dan!
5
Clever strategy: putting the 18 vs 31 year old letter before the 13 vs 50 year old one, thus creating a heightened "yuck" effect.
6
@LM: plural, anecdote, data, etc. It is legitimately awesome that your gay friend had a non-damaging (or even positive) experience with a much older partner. That doesn't change the fact that in general such relationships tend to be unhealthy and therefore warrant a higher degree of scrutiny. Dan's comment is spot on.
7
The advice to Wasted is the same advice Ovid gave to people suffering heartbreak, an ended affair and/or other love/sex suckiness--which was basically, do other shit. Though he phrased it less succinctly, as ancient Roman poets were wont to do.

btw, anyone have an idea why the advice on varying the jerking off style? is it to make it more entertaining or make sure he doesn't get too married to one particular technique? i don't have a dick or anything, but I am curious for...well, i don't know why, i just am. get off my back.
jill
http://inbedwithmarriedwomen.blogspot.co…
8
Additional point for OCD: if his son is still in high school, then there's a very good chance he's still living under his parents' roof, eating their food, and spending their money. And that gives OCD a lot more cause to mettle than if his son were living on his own.
9
@7:It's to prevent desensitization.
10
To inbed (#7): I believe Dan calls it the "death grip": boys/men who don't take the long view can become so accustomed to their own firm grip that they become incapable of having an orgasm with the less-firm grip of mouth, anus, or vagina. That is, they're training their dicks not to respond to the kind of stimulus they actually want in the future. I was with a guy like this, who needed to pound-pound-pound and even then couldn't always come. Not much fun.
11
@3, there might be a difference--how long was this hookup between your 19 y/o friend and the forty-something guy? OCD says his son is in a relationship, which sounds more emotionally involved than a hookup.
12
If I were OCD I'd go online and check to see if the 31 y.o. was a registered sex offender. It might change things if the answer was yes.
13
@7: It's to avoid training one's dick to respond only to the Grip Of Death With Dominant Hand, or in this case GODWDH plus internet porn, because when you have the option of an actual sexual partner it will not work this way.
14
Most of my relationships have had age differences close to those in the OCD letter. I've been in that difference with an older partner and a bigger difference with a younger partner.

I am both angry enough to withhold details and calm enough not to respond as if this were a personal attack. Yet. Excommunication wouldn't surprise me, though.
15
@1

Female?
16
Fantastic advice to the 16 year old. Dan, I want you to write a teen sex-ed book so I don't have to give masturbation advice to my children (but someone needs to!)
17
Re: age gaps...

Oh sure, when you're 15 and "older" means mid twenties, then it's all fine and dandy. Now that I'm in my early twenties I have a strict age cutoff. Women my age who go for older men baffle the shit out of me. But I guess they want different things out of their partners than I do.
19
I draw the line at "my father's age." It creeped me the hell out when my dad briefly dated a girl who was younger than me.
20
as a product of the 18 vs. 31, mine being 16 vs. 36... I've a different outlook on the relationship now, comparatively speaking, as to when I was a horny 16 year old.
21
Hey AWA.....

The OTHER thing you can do is say to your nephew, hey, if this guy (or any other) is making YOU uncomfortable, tell me, and I'll deal with it. As in, you as his aunt and a trusted adult will listen to him when he says something doesn't feel right or is pushing his boundaries in a way he doesn't want, and you will talk to your sister and/or the person who is pushing them, and say, back off.

If the guy in question has any consideration for your nephew, he will respond to a politely worded back the heck off (do not ask him to sleep over, do not ask him to do XXX, stop doing YYY because it makes him uncomfortable). If, after being asked to stop, he continues what he's doing, that a big red warning flag.
22
I think kids need to be protected not only from improper situations, but even the appearance of them. And a man in his 50's asking for someone other than a blood relative to spend the night falls way beyond the pale. Even if the older guy's intentions are purely innocent, he's setting himself up for a world of hurt.

Anybody remember a guy called Michael Jackson?
23
@Mydriasis: I completely agree about only dating guys within your age range; usually 0-3 years. MAYBE 5 years. I've also never understood why girls date older guys. It just isn't for me.
Dan nailed all three!!
Regarding varying the grip; good to know. I'll remember have to remember that for my future son - gay or straight.
24
For the record: At age 30, I began a live-in relationship with a guy I had already known for a year and a half at the Arts Institute (College) we were both attending. I knew we had a big age difference, but we hadn't discussed numbers.

A few months into the relationship, his b'day came around, and I asked, "Oh, how old are you going to be?" His reply, "18." EIGHTEEN!!

I was aghast! It was a college! I had known him for 1 1/2 years prior to the relationship! We discussed it and decided to continue together. At least he was no longer jail bait... (Whew!)

The first time his parents came to visit and meet me, they brought us a water-bed they were getting rid of. I was amazed and impressed and, most fortunately, they liked me too. They were rather progressive, to say the least.

Long story short, 3 1/2 years into the relationship, we were sabotaged by a third party and broke up. I didn't find out about the sabotage 'til a decade later. (That's the VERY abridged version.)

The breakup was in the summer of '83. To this day, we have the greatest of friendships, which includes his current partner, now husband, of 27 yrs., who is 3 yrs. older than me! (I)

It's not always creepy...
25
Handy formula to determine the appropriate minimum age for a romantic partner: Your age divided by two plus seven.

A thirty-one year old should be pursuing none younger than 22.5.

50 years old? No younger than 32.

Works like a charm.
26
I am a straight female medical student, and one of my friends at school is a gay dude my same age (27) who is in a LTR with a guy who I guess to be in his mid-50s. And not that insane ageless super-hot mid-50s that gay guys somehow manage at times, but a really average, sort of dumpy mid-50s (think dad). My friend says he's always been attracted to older guys, and they seem to be really happy and have a very normal relationship; they even come to most of our school parties, which I think is very sweet, as those are mostly the fodder of drunk 24-year-olds.

Personally I don't get it at all as far as the physical attraction goes, but my friend is happy, and his boyfriend seems happy and is able to provide a much more secure living situation than my friend's dubious and hateful Catholic upbringing. So while I'm definitely suspicious of massive age gaps in relationships in general, it really does seem to work sometimes. My friend is not an idiot and is not being taken advantage of. I just try to refrain from being squicked by this funny dad-man being his boyfriend.
27
#16: yes, yes, yes! sex-ed book for teens, what a fantastic idea. pretty pretty puh-leees, dan. i'm sure you're very busy and whatnot, but this would do such wonderful good for so many. imagine a world of sex-savvy teens!
28
Re age difference, I believe there is a huge distinction between a much older person dating someone 20 or up (with a couple of years of legal adulthood under the belt), or even 18 and out of their parents' house, and a much older person dating someone who is barely legal. Basically, once you're 20 or so all your partners should be finished with high school, in my view. If you're 22 and into someone's who's 52, go for it with my blessing. Taking responsibility for your choices like a grown-up of course.

It may technically be legal, but as Dan says raises a warning flag of someone who finds partners over 17 or 18 to be too independent minded. @24's situation, a student living away from home getting serious with a fellow student, is very different from the sort of guy hanging out at the pizza place checking high school students' IDs for who just turned 18 and is now legal to nail.
29
(Apologies if this posts twice.) Re age gap:

There's a huge difference between relationships between two adults with a big age gap, and relationships between much older adults and the barely legal (for sexual consent). It's not the size of the gap, it's the extreme power imbalance. As Dan says, a man who's found that partners older than 17 or 18 challenge him too much raises red flags, however much he may talk about falling for the person and it just being coincidence that it only works out with people still taking algebra.

I would set a soft line of about 20, after which all partners should be out of high school. (Or that half age plus seven is a fine guide up until the younger partner is 18 and out of their parents' house.) 17 and 16 is very different from 37 and 16. 26 and 57, a 10 year bigger gap, meh. Go for it.

I also like what Dan says about your child in high school living under your roof being entitled to a certain level of interference regarding his or her allowable dating choices. Parents should try to be wise about not writing themselves into a Shakespearean tragedy, but let's make moving out and achieving independence look appealing.
30
One friend started handling the whom-teens-date problem when her children were in pre-school. She had the home where everyone was invited and everyone wanted to be. Friends were welcome whether that was for peanut butter and jelly or ping pong or video games or studying for the SATs. Everyone in the house met the parents as a matter of course. It never seemed like the parents were evaluating the children's choices in friends. When the kids were old enough to begin dating, it was only natural that the parents would know the people the children were going out with. If there was suddenly someone a child didn't want his/her parents to meet, that's when the red flag went up. Make it 2 red flags if the date didn't want to meet the parents. The question would immediately be "why not?" While there might be good answers to that question (I can't think of one), the important point is that the question is asked.

Which is all to say that Dan's answer makes sense. Let's say that OCD meets that 31 year old man and, miracle of miracles, likes him. Let's say he passes the test. Let's say the guy is condom using, considerate, HIV negative, mature, has things in common with the 18 year old son, and doesn't seem like a creep or a user. OCD invites him to dinner just as he has the rest of his son's friends. If the relationship really is safe, the guy will be fine with hanging out at his young boyfriend's home. If it's not, then we're back to Dan's tear limb from limb scenario.

Oh, and can we make that first meeting over coffee, not beer? Dan so often suggests alcohol, and while I'm not completely against it, I think it's generally safer without.
31
OCD, if you push your son to break up with this guy, you'll drive him even further into his arms. So, make your objections known once, but then drop it and let things play out. Hard, I know, but he'll be more likely to come around to your point of view more quickly if he feels the decision is his to make.
32
I agree with you, IPJ, but I would set the soft cap a little higher, to 23. On average, most people develop fully adult reasoning at this age and not before.
33
In general I agree with Dan's advice re 13/50 yr old....one caveat (which probably isn't the case here) - the sister "has a temper" ... is the nephew perhaps gay, scared to come out at home because he'll get yelled at or abused? is he already getting abused? is the 50 yr old seen as a "safe haven"? Are there other issues going on here?

Ok, I'm probably over-complicating things, but just wanted to offer an alternative scenario. The aunt might want to talk to the nephew about stuff like that...
34
@32: I deliberately went close to the age of legal adulthood, which is 18. In part because I don't like the ever-sliding age of adult responsibility when the age at which to enjoy adult privileges doesn't also slide. Usually it seems that 'in a romantic/sexual relationship' behavior is the only one on which people want a maturity pass to treat others crappily; if it's getting a job with responsibility or signing for buying a car or a lease or having any sort of sex that appeals to them or all sorts of other stuff, they insist they are of course able to make mature adult decisions.

In part because, while I accept that 16 year olds have sex, the consequences of sex are very adult. Emotionally, for what it does potentially to your and a partner's feelings. Physically, in terms of things that can affect the two of you, and a child, and all future partners of yourself or your current partner... It would be nice if we could rule those consequences don't come in until 18 or 21 and it's all fun exploration until then, but that's not how it works. I want my social norms to acknowledge reality, which would include both that people in high school have sex and that that sex can have consequences for them and for others.
35
I'm 10 years older than my partner, but we didn't meet till I was in my 40s, he was in his 30s. That's a very different situation from the one described by OCD. Next month we'll celebrate our 15th anniversary. Still, it kind of freaks me out to consider that when I was 20 years old, he was only 10. Yikes!
36
43 year old bi male here, engaged to a wonderful (nearly) 25 year old woman. We got together when she was 22 (though I initially thought she was already in her mid-20s). Our original intentions were to hook up, have some hot sex for a while, and part as friends. Instead, we fell deeply in love.

I have to chuckle at the commenters wondering why women date older men. They do it because they are sexually attracted to older men, duh. And men date younger women because again, duh. This kind of relationship is hardly unusual. People assume, I suppose, that an age gap necessarily implies some sort of power play, and perhaps sometimes it does, but as I believe Dan has said in the past, youth and vitality have power just as much as age and wealth or experience.

Do may-december relationships last? I would guess that the odds are a little worse than it is for people in the same age cohort, but they don't have to be. It really depends on the individuals. I feel closer to my wonderful young bride-to-be than I ever dreamed possible compared to previous relationships with women closer to my age. If you can't seem to find the right partner, try opening your mind a little.
37
you took the words out this 47 year old gay man's mouth on all three
38
You took the words right out of this 47 year old gay man's mouth on all three.
39
@ 17, women your age who go for older men want one of two things: a mature man (you're still growing up in your 20s - it's the final stage of childhood, not your teens), or a man who has money to spend on her. Or both. But more often the latter.
40
@32 reminds me of this girl I go to college with...she's 21 and her boyfriend is 41. They met at a con, and within a year of dating they were living together and adopted a cat! And she/her parents (who still partially financially support her, I think she has a part time job) have to prop this guy up financially because his wages get garnished for child support, as he has two kids from a previous marriage.

I can't believe her parents are so supportive of the relationship, and they are VERY supportive based on the constant Facebook posts. She's a college student just learning how to live away from family. Living in a dorm and supporting herself with a part-time job while casually dating seems a lot better suited to her maturity level then quickly moving in with a guy twice her age and supporting him, herself, and a cat because he can't support himself. It seems like way too much way too soon. And she's potentially becoming step-mom to his kids, assuming he has any sort of custody/visitation rights?!

I just can't see any way this can end well.
41
Does it make me odd that I don't find 20 year olds all that attractive any more*? As a 50+, the concept of a 13 year old in my bed totally creeps me out; I can't understand the mindset of someone that would want to do so. I will admit that I've always been attracted to older women, however.

In my opinion the fixation on an inexperienced virgin, as opposed to an experienced lover, is kind of strange. The idea is to perform impure acts together, right? So of course I ended up being the training lover for a few girls, including my wife. Life works like that...

Peace.

* Nowadays I see kids like that as potential partners for my kids, when they (my kids) get older. It's weird to jump into grandparent mode before my kids leave the house.
42
Dear Dan,

I'm 33 years old. If I was dating an 18-year-old guy, and his father came to me to say the things that you told him he should tell me, here is what I would reply.

"Mr. X, I understand that you are obviously concerned about your son's wellbeing. That's perfectly understandable and commendable. I think, however, that if you respect your son's ability to make enlightened decisions about his own life, most of these questions are questions you should be asking your son, and not me. I think you should tell him about your concerns regarding our relationship - it's perfectly fair of you to do so, and voicing concerns when you have them is what makes you a good father. I think also that you should ask him what he's getting out of our relationship, and rather than object or argue, you should spend some time reflecting on his answer, and show empathy for his needs. Then you can resume this conversation with him, and maybe agree on a compromise that would reassure you while ensuring that your son's needs are met.

Regarding my health, my HIV-status is a private matter. It does concern your son, and we've had this conversation together. It does not concern you, or anyone who I'm not considering as a potential lover. Once again, I understand your concern, but we barely know each other, and you are not entitled to details of my private life by the virtue of being my boyfriend's father.

Finally, once again, I understand your concern as a father, and I'm willing to continue this conversation with you if you want to two of us to know each other better. Being a concerned father, however, as never given you the right to threathen me. I do not tolerate threats. So if you want, you can apologize for that; I'll let it slide, and we can both continue this conversation together and enjoy the nice beer. Or I can tell your son that you threatened me, and ask him if I should call the police. What would you prefer?"
43
I'm going to take Dan's side on all three, esp OCD. I was in a horrible relationship as a teenager (dude was 26 to my 16 yr old depressed girl). I was groomed and then sexually exploited, pretty much raped with my consent. Still unlearning the brainwashing that occurred.

Yes it could be ok, great even. But it could very much not ok too. Agree that OCD's kid's relationship warrants scrutiny and wish my parents had put a stop to it. Some people can con the parents too. Can't necessarily protect yr kid but you can educate them on healthy relationships and sexuality so that if things go south, they can't be made to think its something wrong with them as abusers would have them believe. May be uncomfortable having these conversations with yr kid but you will know you did everything you could.
44
"fiftysomething gay men do not invite 13-year-old boys to sleepovers for the same reason fiftysomething straight men don't invite 13-year-old girls to sleepovers: Suspicions will be aroused, even if nothing else is."

I cant think of any circumstances where a fifty yo inviting a child for a sleepover is not straight up pedophilia.
45
Dan: especially great job addressing OCD. Parental involvement/parents who listen are the greatest deterrent of creeps, when one is young & inexperienced. A true boyfriend, concerned about the younger partner 31-year-old, will understand why the boy's folks would want to give him the once-over & deal w/ good grace. A skeever would be outta there if the parents start giving him closer scrutiny.
46
AWA's fiftysomething gay man is in serious danger of being murdered by AWA's family and being buried in the woods. Sounds like he's stupid enough to deserve it, too.
47
@AWA
If you live in the US then I must say FAKE! No one writes for advice given such circumstances. People call the authorities or at least confront the predator and tell him off based on a lot less than this.
48
As a just-turned 20 year old woman in love with a soon to be 48 year old man, I strongly believe that age difference is outweighed by personality. Some middle aged guys are young at heart. They're a minority, certainly (as the swinger scene has taught me!), but older men who work well with younger women without having to throw money at them do exist.

So I agree that OCD should be concerned, the boyfriend certainly could be a creep, but if he trusts his son's judgment, there's a good possibility this older man is just one amazing motherfucker!
49
Thank you, Dan.
50
@42 Queer,

You call the police, because there's no well in he'll I'd want my son with a manipulative POS like you.
51
@41 No that is not weird at all.

While I can appreciate young beauty objectively, the minimum age of whom I find sexually attractive has also increased with my own years.
52
@50: yeah.

@42: If you meant that to come across as something that would convince a parent they had no business getting involved in the romantic life between you and their child, you missed by a mile. You might have that conversation with the parents of a 21 year old. 18, still in high school, lives at home? No, you do not get to blow off his (or her) parents' concern.
53
I always think the best way to tell a creep is how they react to the idea that they might be a creep.
A thoughtful, mature, non-sicko 31-year-old dating an 18-year-old will know perfectly well there are sicko predators out there, and that it's difficult for the 18-y-o's parents to know if he is one. So if he reacts with outrage at the accusation, he's not a thoughtful, mature, non-sicko.
54
@44 Apparently many branches of the Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization allow overnights after six months or so of mentoring:

http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archive…

"The only rule that our agency has is that there are no overnights for the first six months of a match."
http://www.bbbssco.org/QA.html

"If you and your Little have been in the program 6 months, you are now able to have an overnight visit."
http://www.bbbs.org/site/c.mlIUIfN4JyE/b…
55
@ #25: Thank you! I love Dan's advice on all three of these but I cannot believe he didn't mention the Standard Creepiness Rule formula. Guess he's not a math geek. :-D
56
@48 -- that's a very sweet sentiment, but it will be interesting to see if you feel the same way at 35. Many, many of us have been in your shoes -- in fact, I think it's a rite of passage for many young women (to date the older guy). And while some do end up being amazing motherfuckers, that's the exception to the rule. Many more are losers that prey on younger women/men for the exact reasons Dan states -- because folks closer to their age would be able to call them on their shit or wouldn't put up with their shit so they're forced to look for younger folks with less experience and wisdom.

For the younger person, it can have many benefits -- very flattering (you think you're soooo mature), sexual mentorship, enjoy things materially that you couldn't (being wined and dined with nice dinners, tickets to concerts/theater, etc. -- things that are no big deal for the older person but seem extravagant to the younger person -- I wouldn't blink at paying $150 for dinner these days at 33, but back at 21, that would have been HUGE).

More often than not the younger ones outgrow the older ones and see it as a good learning experience (if there wasn't anything super predatory about it -- but more just a loser that despite his age, really never grew up and you want someone that's more on your level -- and let's face it, if he's on your level when you're 20 and he's 48, you're going to likely outgrow him soon).

---Former 21 year-old who dated a 39 year-old and felt the same way at 21 but not at all the same way at 25 or 33.
57
@42: That's an excellent response. That would show the father that you're exactly the kind of narcissistic pud who is just looking to prey on people who also don't have fully-formed interpersonal and relationship skills.
58
i'm 34, and these days i find anyone under about 28/30 just plain boring, or even irritating - not sexy at all. i've always liked the (x/2)+7 equation...
on the other hand, i have a friend who at 22 had been through a few girlfriends, with dramas > joys, and then hooked up with a 42 year old lawyer and had a solid functional relationship for a few years. the 22 year old was writing her phd, and needed someone who could keep up. their relationship was more equal than one with someone her own age.

also... where i live the age of consent is 16... in some countries it's 14...
59
I'm currently living with my partner of 5 years, we met when I was 18 just starting college and was really just looking for a booty call. He was 30, turned 31 the night we first hooked up and things seemed to have turned out pretty well. He definitely fell in love with me faster than I did him, it was more than a few months after he said something that I reciprocated and he respected that. We went through a lot of things together, the death of my mother, my having been raped while on study abroad and the ensuing crazy emotional shit I went through and a bout of unemployment post-college, although I am working now. He obeyed the campsite rule, we've always treated each other as equals and we call each other on shit when we fight. He's my best friend on top of that and we love each other dearly.

We currently have an open and poly relationship and he doesn't just date women my age and gets along well with the partners he has his own age. we're both kinky and I have a bit of a masochistic side and out of being GGG he is enjoying learning that he has a bit of a sadistic side - we don't have a 24/7 dynamic, neither of us is interested in that and he treats me and thinks of me as his life partner and I treat him the same. I know that some men who date younger women are creeps, and he also acknowledges that there are creepy assholes out there who do that to manipulate their younger partners. I hate to say it but there are cases like that in the kinky community. But I don't think its fair to paint all of the age difference relationships with the same brush unless you have more detail about the older dude's lifestyle and general habits.
60
@48 cytheria,

There are 20 year olds that are more mature than some 48 year olds will ever be. There are some 80 year olds that are younger at heart than some 20 year olds. Everyone is different, as are their families of origin, etc..

Most guys have probably run into the family compatibility problem, and a lot of women as well. As sucky as that can get, indifference would be worse.

Good luck with your relationship.

Peace.
61
@41: I'm with you and I'm only 34. I'm sure circumstances vary but it seems like most of the twentysomethings I see are no more mature than teenagers.
62
And I include myself until about 27.
63
@50 oops,

No way in hell =/= "no well in he'll".

Damn you autocorrect.

Peace.
64
@58 Standard creepiness rule: don't date under ((age/2)+7)
http://xkcd.com/314/
65
or over.... it goes both ways. i've been turned down recently for being 'too young'.
66
"They do it because they are sexually attracted to older men, duh."

Um, needlessly obtuse. Obviously we're confused as to WHY they're sexually attracted to older men.

@39 Men who are mature date women their own age. (I said date, not fuck) *see the several testimonies above.

Why I wouldn't date older men? Biology.
1. If they're not already losing their looks/fitness, they'll lose them sooner than they would if they were my age.
2. Two words: refractory period.

But I'm a shallow motherfucker.
To women who date older men? God bless every one of you. Makes my life easier.
67
Oh also!

3. Mortality exists. Women already live longer than men so an older partner means added years of elderly lonliness. Pass.
69
You really ARE an amazing voice of reason...I am seriously printing this out and starting a folder of emergency wisdom for parents and teens, because at 9 years old, my daughter is already asking me things that I don't mind telling her, but really don't want some other kids horrified parents confronting me about what information I give her, because I'm rather liberal with the truth since I've had to tolerate my own ignorance thanks to being raised in a community where "we'll talk about that when you are more mature" or "this conversation is inappropriate" or some biblical reference about purity/godliness/lust/sin/hell was given instead of an honest answer.

I am committed to making sure my daughter is informed and given every bit of insight that it has taken me 42 years to acquire. Thank you for your support and guidance in how to present information rather than letting myself be surprised and panicky and defensive or suspicious or over reacting when these issues arise, because they all eventually do surface...I feel much more confident in my ability to relay a competent, satisfying answer, thanks to you. I can't express the depth of my appreciation for your critical thinking, compassionate, empathetic, common sense, realistic approach.

You are better than the best! I love your face off!
70
@42: "Or I can tell your son that you threatened me, and ask him if I should call the police."

Hell, I'll tell him myself. This conversation just became a conference call, asshole.

Thanks for overplaying your hand, though.

72
@42: Yeah, Good luck with that.
73
@62: There's a reason why the insurance actuarial tables have a breakpoint at age 26. Brains aren't physically complete until then, give or take..
74
@Hunter

68: I didn't misunderstand her at all. Her (first) point was apt, her details were wrong.

71: History suggests you will, but in the interim I'm not going to get upset about your nonsensical rantings.
76
@ 66, that's subjective. Granted, I should have said "more mature" rather than a flat "mature," but women who are 22 are not off limits to mature men.

Also, in what world does dating not equal fucking? Not the grown up world.
77
@68: Asterix? Prehistoric menhirs?
78
@76

I was referring to the opposite, actually. I was anticipating a comment that when it comes to casual sex (not dating) a desire to have sex with younger women does not suggest immaturity. And I would tend to agree.

I didn't say women my age are "off limits" I didn't mean an older man can't go for younger women (I wish they'd leave me the fuck alone, but what can you do), or that younger women can't go for older men (if it gets them to leave me alone I'm all for it! As I suggested above). I just meant that the whole premise that a woman who dates an older man is getting a more mature man than someone her own age is usually wrong.

@77

Hunter was worried that I wouldn't see his attempt at a scathing reply if he posted it in last week's comment's section where it belongs.
79
The police would be less than useless to the boyfriend; they'd probably assist in any assault.

I actually only have mild tone disagreements with Mr Savage until he gets to advocating threatening physical violence against someone whom the law will not protect. But at least he's proven that he's completely on a level with heterosexual parents, which appears to have been his great ambition, and I congratulate him for attaining what he has sought.

It is interesting that everybody assumes OCD has been a great parent all along when there is not one word from him about whether he accepts and/or supports his son's sexuality in particular. One can make the point that OCD compliments Mr Savage, but that is only the mildest of general indicators, especially if OCD knew before he wrote in that Mr Savage disliked April-June relationships. I think there's a distinct hint in the way OCD claims it's not a gay objection that he's had more than one gay objection, and likely fairly recently. It's possible perhaps that part of the general problem is that youngsters with parental issues try to date older and the older partner might not see that in time.

Not that that should invalidate his concern, and the beginning of Mr Savage's response is just as strong, but OCD may find his row harder to hoe, in which case I feel sorry for his son. OCD could quite plausibly be the only one to view the BF in a way that happens to be correct, but may have undercut his own credibility.

And yes, the BF ought to expect and welcome concerned inquiry. It does seem typical, though, that straight people would just expect gay people, when threatened with violence, to turn the other cheek. That's obviously worked so well for us in the past. It reminds me of Miss O'Hare in Widow's Peak complaining about how the English had been mistreating the Irish for centuries. I'd advise the BF to take it all with courtesy, and to be ready, if confronted with anything nasty, to voice his own concerns in a polite, non-accusatory manner.

And could we have a hands up from all the cheerleaders for physical violence who would be just as enthusiastically in favour of that bit of advice if the other party were a 31-year-old woman dating a LW's 18-year-old straight son? If anything, that could be the most dangerous combination of the four, at least concerning the younger party's agency if something undesirable happens (in this case, pregnancy).
80
Ah, didactic, glibly overconfident youth. Not in the dating pool, but no better reason to call "pass" on most of the early-twenty-somethings.
81
@73: But I don't think any societies view adulthood as starting at 26ish, even though some brain development does continue through the early 20s. (Not a whole lot, and the 30 or 50 year old brain can develop and change, too.)

I'm always inclined to push back against the notion that an 18 year old be free of any legal right of their parents to tell them what to do and how to live so long as they're willing to move out, should logically be allowed to drink (the alcohol laws are based on younger teens not knowing many 21 year olds), can sign binding legal contracts for apartments and loans and such, can join the military, can have any kind of sex they want with other consenting adults, and can start a career as a porn star/weapons importer. But is not considered really an adult for matters of relationships. It's a weird special exemption.
82
@80

That'll do.
83
@81

I agree!

Seems like we've been in some long drawn out process of pushing back 'adulthood' further and further. I know some people that think they don't need to act like adults until they're in their 30s.
84
it's important that we keep 'laws', and 'reality' separate. honestly, if an 18 year old is not fully adult, and basically independent, they have a problem, and their parents got it wrong.

i actually think our marriage/civil union laws are pretty smart here: you can wed at 16, but need one parent/guardian to sign off on it until you're 20. if you can't agree about it, you can take it to court - if you're under 18, you have to prove that you're responsible, mature, and self-sufficient. if you're over 18 your parents have to prove that you're _not_ mature enough. if you're under 16 and can't wait for some reason, you can apply to the courts for dispensation... all designed to make you really think about it, not necessarily to stop you.
85
In my experience most people will become adults only when it is demanded of them. Family circumstances, economic realities, or an insistent partner are the usual culprits.
86
@ 78, good thing I didn't put forth that premise as a universal truth, then, isn't it? "More mature," not "mature." It may be nothing more than patience - even if the man in question isn't really as mature as someone his age should be, he will almost always be more patient.

Also, you did draw a distinct line between dating and fucking. I'm not sure how one is supposed to see that you meant the opposite, but whatever.
87
@79 vennominion,

I would do whatever it takes to protect my child from a predatory adult 12+ years their senior. Surely you can't believe it takes a Y chromosome for someone to be capable of abusing another.

@83 mydriasis,

30s! I know of people that will never be an adult. Worst case, I know someone that has half sibs by his high school girlfriend! The guy's dad is just a large child, with the same degree of empathy. (yes, the father was cheating on both his wife and son at the same time. I'm not going to put much blame on the 18 YO.)

Peace.
88
@86

"I said dating, not fucking" is what I said originally?

You thought I meant that dating does not include fucking. (Right?)

What I really meant was that fucking often does not include dating. But that dating typically does include fucking.

I guess 'opposite' isn't the right word, but it seems pretty close?

Anyway, neither of us was arguing a universal truth.

Frankly, I think a 25 year old man of average maturity who wants to date someone my age is likely to be more mature than a 40 year old man who wants to date someone my age. But that's just my opinion/experience/impression.

Not sure where the patient part comes in?
90
Mydriasis, 16 year old girls can be just as awkward and un-dateable as the boys are. Try being a poor, overweight girl with zits (PCOS!) and no boobs at a school filled with girls who could afford expensive makeup and dermatologists' visits and implants. None of the boys ever look at you twice. Dan's advice applies equally well to wall flowers as it does to teen boys.
91
@cocky
Really? Personally I'd find such a woman even more dubious. Am I alone in this?

@Stiny
Sorry to hear. I just know in my own experience (and I had all types of friends), even girls who fit that description usually had an equally awkward friend who wanted in her pants. Personally I got more attention from my teachers than classmates. Highschool wasn't fun for me either.
92
Mr Ven @79: Probably safe to say that dying of AIDS is more catastrophic than an unwanted pregnancy.

In most circumstances, "Treat him [her] right or you will regret it" should be laughed off as a facetious expression of parental concern. After all, presumably the person has every intention of treating their little darling as good as gold, which renders the "threat" entirely meaningless. This has been the case for daddies inquiring after heterosexual relationships for centuries.

This is what makes @42's response all the more obnoxious. The father is looking for some reassurance that this person is not in fact a predator. 42's response is basically, "Reassurance? No, actually...you get nothing. Nothing from me, certainly, though I dare you to take your concerns to your child and see how well my brainwashing has taken hold."

42 could scarcely have labeled himself Predatory Creep any more effectively if he had carved it on his own forehead with a box cutter.
93
@89: We've made a sharp distinction between 18, finished with high school, moved out of parents' house, and 18, in high school, financially dependent on parents, ask parents' permission for things as they are a dependent child still in many senses. And even with our hypothetical military person (who is going to be really busy that first year and maybe not having time to manage a new relationship all the way to the shacking up stage) they are within months of achieving meaningful adulthood. Maybe they should be hooking up with other fairly mature but young people. And like 91, I find these hypothetical 30ish women nailing the 17 and 18 year olds in high school inappropriate, and nailing the barely fledged not much more reassuring.

And if you're talking yourself into how your relationship with someone who is either still attending high school and barely 18, or barely out of the nest and just finding himself, is really okay and technically legal, maybe you need to step back. If there are all these inexperienced, 18-equivalent thirty somethings out there, maybe you could date them. Or at least the guys in their early twenties. 31-21 wouldn't raise either of my eyebrows a hair.
94
Mr Married - Well, you make one. I shall pay you the compliment of believing that you would attack any 31-year-old partner of any 18-year-old child of yours with equal physical ferocity, though it's unclear whether you'd do this on no prior acquaintance or whether you'd wait for the case to meet Mr Savage's condition.

Given that I said I'd view older F-younger M as potentially the most dangerous combination in my mind, your second sentence seems odd. It just struck me that quite a lot of those cheerleading for straight men threatening gay men with physical violence (with, of course, the almost certain full approval of all authorities) might be inclined rather differently were the older partner a woman. I am prepared to pay Mr Savage the compliment of believing that he would feel equally inclined to advise the same course with an older woman, but suspect that he might not quite be able to bring himself to say it due to an expected backlash.
95
Oh Dan, nobody does it better!
96
Mr Avast - I was thinking in terms of agency. While my knowledge is limited, the people of my acquaintance who have become HIV+ have had considerably more control over their lives than those who have made others pregnant.

You must forgive me for thinking "or you'll regret it" not to be on a par with a threat of physical violence. I happen to take threats of S-on-G violence quite seriously; so few others do. At the very least, I should hold it incumbent upon a Concerned Parent making such a threat to make it clear that the younger partner telling a family member that the couple had a quarrel won't mean that the CP will be right over with a baseball bat. (Even as a child I disliked baseball; how prescient of me.) While an OP might reasonably expect initial suspicion, excessive hostility right away might just mean that the OP will shun contact, which could be a loss all around.
97
"I'd view older F-younger M as potentially the most dangerous combination in my mind"

Um... why?
I find it the most suspicious, but not the most dangerous.
98
@94 vennominion, 

In my experience, including as a 21 YO having a glorious sexual experience with a 32 YO woman, and as a 17 YO almost being raped by a 45ish male, the response would be determined by the individual.  Mydriasis's #91b entry made me wince because of my own anti-predator instincts honed by living as a younger (than 17) child being stalked by an authority figure in my own home.  Unfortunately I understand the damage a predatory adult can inflict first hand, and at the same time that a loving and caring partner with the same age difference to be a blessing.  Like most human behavior, mine isn't that simple.

In my own case, my knee-jerk response is likely based in the kind of defense that I wished for from my parents.  It includes an extreme response only as a worst case scenario; I would go to jail to protect my child if and only if that was required.  I would also welcome a new partner into the family if that were truly what was best for my child in my determination.

Sorry if you equate my response as thuggish, and even supportive of gay bashing, but it comes down to protecting my child.  

Peace.
99
My advice to WASTED is the same as Dan's. I'm 20 and haven't had a boyfriend or had sex yet and I don't mind it that much. Keep busy with school or volunteer work. Find some hobbies that will distinguish you and make you well rounded. In two or three years your chances will also be better of finding someone simply because of things like mobility and if you move to a bigger city, etc.

Otherwise I'm in the same boat plus 4 years, I think I'm mostly single because I 'd rather stay at home and am easily turned off by guys for seeming like assholes or vapid queens. College can also be a great social experience- I've heard- but only if you are proactive about it.

So live your life and don't wait for a boyfriend but rather build yourself into someone who's caring and smart. One of my past gay friends has a boyfriend (one of many past others) but lives back in his small hometown, jobless,and a college drop out. Don't be him. But don't be like me and just be a homebody with too many hobbies who doesn't like to socialize and wonders when the boyfriend is gonna show up. I also recommend your local GSA or in college bglad which is not the best place to start a manhunt but a start nonetheless.

100
@17 mydriasis and @23 Linden: I agree with both of you on not wanting to date someone who is almost old enough to be a parent.
At 47 I have entered a rather bizarre situation: men in my age bracket seem to be seeking women in their late 20s and 30s. Men 15 to 20+ years older seem to seek me out! I'm just not interested.
Maybe it's because I enjoy being independent so much more, I don't know. But I'd prefer to stay single than face those dating odds.

Three for three! Kudos, Dan, of a direct bullseye!
AWA: I'm with Dan: Speak up!!
101
Have I missed it, or has nobody noted in response to the people wondering why young women might be attracted to "older men" and why older men might be attracted to "young women" that it is often not a case of general preference but rather a specific attraction to THIS older man or younger woman?

That is how I have always experienced things, anyways. Maybe I am wrong, but I think that most of the time the relative age of the parties to a relationship is somewhere between "one of several factors influencing compatibility" and "irrelevant". When I was eighteen and twenty, most of my close friends were ten to twenty years older. I wasn't dating (or having sex with) any of them, but I loved spending time with them because we had a lot in common and many shared interests, and a lot of fun. I don't think there was anything wrong with any of us. One of the saddest things about America is the way people get segregated into age cohorts and can't get out.
104
102, 103- cocky--

There are 2 issues with relationships between the chronologically disparate, one easily defensible, one not. The first is that it strikes most of us as icky. Since most of us are attracted to partners who are roughly the same age we are, there's an automatic ick factor when we learn of someone much older being a little too attracted to someone much younger. Like so many ick factors that are based only on what one personally finds appealing without acknowledging that not everyone feels the same, this one really can't be defended. It smacks of the old "I think same sex sex is disgusting and not something I would participate in; therefore gay people must be hunted down and killed" mentality. Definitely not good.

But then there's the power element. A 30 year old in a relationship with a 60 year old has a good shot at being an equal partner and not being taken advantage of. That's not likely the case with an 18 year old in a relationship with a 30 year old. I don't have a problem with discouraging that latter age-disparate relationship because it takes the form of protecting the younger, less powerful participant.

As for threats-- When I read Dan's response, I didn't take it as a literal threat. I saw it more in the way people say "if he comes late one more time, I'll wring his neck," just a way of saying "I'll be very angry," not something to be taken as a literal death threat. But even if you take Dan's response a little more literally, even if you think he's saying that he will beat the guy to a bloody pulp, note that the threat is still contingent on "if you hurt my gay kid." If this man doesn't hurt the 18 year old young man, he's safe. He's in control. All he has to do is act honorably, and he's fine. The father isn't asking much, and he isn't taking autonomy away from his son. The son still gets to choose his own relationships, but from a position of safety.
106
Home run, Dan. All three letters. As a parent, I say "thank you"!!
107
Mr Married - A last resort is a last resort. I should hope I'd commend you resorting to such a course of action were it truly necessary.

I didn't take your response as necessarily thuggish; you just didn't clarify. One could have argued equally well either way from your open-ended original statement.

Thank you for being more exact. And I note with interest that you are still the only one making your stand gender-neutral. I give you a good many points for that.
108
Mr Balls - Did you see the other thread on this? I really don't think Mr Savage intends to come across the way you think he does. This puts him in a difficult position, and he takes a stance that makes sense for him.

    Please wait...

    Comments are closed.

    Commenting on this item is available only to members of the site. You can sign in here or create an account here.


    Add a comment
    Preview

    By posting this comment, you are agreeing to our Terms of Use.