Help! Am I into older men? #AskAvery

Meet Avery. She has 8 years experience as a comedian and 7 years experience as a teenager—and she is here to A your toughest Qs about comedy, family, romance, school, and the meaning of life (maybe).  Got a problem you can’t solve or a goal you need help meeting? Ask Avery by DMing @GOLDComedy or emailing info+askavery@gmail.com. BREAKING: Avery runs/hosts open mics Mondays at 7 p and Thursdays at 12 p ($5 for 5 min) at West Side Comedy Club. Come through and say hi!

Dear Avery,

Good news! I have a new boyfriend and I love him. The bad news is he’s a lot older than me. I wanted to know your advice on age-gap relationships, and well, I didn’t wanna ask my parents. SOS.

Your friend,

To Dilf or Not to Dilf

Dear To Dilf or Not to Dilf,

This is a tricky one. I, for one, have never ventured to the 30+ setting on my dating apps. But as many of my friends have complex relationships with their fathers, I’ve definitely had to offer input on the subject once or twice. 

One of the reasons this is difficult is that I don’t know your exact relationship with your man. My short answer is that age-gap relationships can work, but the power dynamics and rules of your relationship need to be much more explicit than they if you were both, say, Gen Z. Also, exactly how big is this gap? Like, is he telling you about his service in World War II (and if so, find out what side he was fighting for), or … was he a senior when you were a freshman? 

In age-gap relationships, there may be a lot of misunderstandings. He’ll forget to take his pills and you won’t pay the VR bill. And for my five male readers, the same goes to you. The MILF epidemic in this country is growing and you gotta stay on your toes, poolboys of America. Are these constant explanations of what “modern times” are worth this relationship? Only you can decide. 

If you are two consenting adults, there’s not much else I can say. I’m not your mom, more like your cool aunt. And I also have the knowledge from having been a young girl that if I tell you not to do something, especially if that something is seeing a boy (see Romeo and Juliet), you’re gonna want to see them more, and maybe even end up dead! (See Romeo and Juliet.)

So let your heart take you wherever, even if that means the retirement home, but go in cautiously. Especially because a heartbreak could really kill him. KIDDING! (Or am I? 😉.)

Good luck!

Avery