If you’ve seen the recent movie Babygirl, you know there’s a major age gap between the two main characters—with the woman being older than the man. This erotic film breaks out of all sorts of societal boxes, challenging what we often view as “normal” in the dating world.
Still, many deem the dynamic between the two love interests to be unrealistic, as it portrays a female CEO and her much younger intern. And no, the professional relationship is not what’s being labeled as inaccurate; it’s their sexual relationship that’s throwing many off.
We often see older men with much younger women. That’s been a popular trope in society for decades. However, more recently, there’s also been an increase in older women dating younger men—and there’s data to prove it.
“Age gaps are nothing new—but it’s always been older men and younger women. Yet, while Babygirl may seem inaccurate, our analysis shows matches between older women and younger men are more common than you might think,” said Anastasiya Pochotna, a dating expert at the dating app Flirtini. “In fact, over a third of Gen X females prefer a match ten years younger than them, while over half of Gen Z males are looking for an older partner.”
Still, though the desire is certainly there on both sides, there seems to be a bit of a disconnect when it comes to society’s standards.
“Why don’t we see such couples out and about? Well, as mentally taxing as it is, it’s because society is unaccepting,” Pochatna said. “Fearing judgment, they hide their relationships. But love is love, and older women can be both desiring and desirable, as Nicole Kidman [in Babygirl] continues to prove.”
Movies like Babygirl are shedding light on this seemingly taboo dating trend. I’d say that’s a win for the girls.
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