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Jul. 10th, 2003
I don't usually bother passing comment on either celebrities or Miranda Devine, but this article annoyed me.
Not the comments on Germaine Greer. Unless the article has badly misrepresented her, her behaviour is foolish at the very least. What really pisses me off is this:
Hence we have almost-boomer Demi Moore, buff at 40, as she shows off her toy boy, Ashton Kutcher, 25, giving inspiration to all the Botox-laden, youth-chasing old ladies out there who insist on "growing old disgracefully"
I'm no particular fan of either Moore or Kutcher; I can't remember the last time I saw either of them in a film. But the assumption that a 15-year age gap makes him some kind of 'toy' is crass and offensive.
When I was 21, I had a relationship with a 35-year-old woman. And oh, the number of people who *assumed* that she was taking advantage of me. Or that I was taking advantage of her. Or both, simultaneously, however *that's* supposed to work. I heard the expression "toy-boy" more than once, although I think it offended Diane more than me.
Because, you know, two people born more than ten years apart couldn't *possibly* have anything in common. Like shared interests, or compatible personalities, or whatnot. So obviously she was after me as a way of fending off old age, and I was after her for, I don't know, money or something. The truth is, the age gap really didn't matter very much to us - we liked one another, we got along well, that was that.
I have no interest in defending Greer's behaviour (at least, not unless it turns out Ms. Devine has misrepresented it). But if a 25-year-old man enjoys the company of a 40-year-old woman, good luck to them both. He's old enough to look after himself.
Not the comments on Germaine Greer. Unless the article has badly misrepresented her, her behaviour is foolish at the very least. What really pisses me off is this:
Hence we have almost-boomer Demi Moore, buff at 40, as she shows off her toy boy, Ashton Kutcher, 25, giving inspiration to all the Botox-laden, youth-chasing old ladies out there who insist on "growing old disgracefully"
I'm no particular fan of either Moore or Kutcher; I can't remember the last time I saw either of them in a film. But the assumption that a 15-year age gap makes him some kind of 'toy' is crass and offensive.
When I was 21, I had a relationship with a 35-year-old woman. And oh, the number of people who *assumed* that she was taking advantage of me. Or that I was taking advantage of her. Or both, simultaneously, however *that's* supposed to work. I heard the expression "toy-boy" more than once, although I think it offended Diane more than me.
Because, you know, two people born more than ten years apart couldn't *possibly* have anything in common. Like shared interests, or compatible personalities, or whatnot. So obviously she was after me as a way of fending off old age, and I was after her for, I don't know, money or something. The truth is, the age gap really didn't matter very much to us - we liked one another, we got along well, that was that.
I have no interest in defending Greer's behaviour (at least, not unless it turns out Ms. Devine has misrepresented it). But if a 25-year-old man enjoys the company of a 40-year-old woman, good luck to them both. He's old enough to look after himself.