Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas: Does Age Gap Really Matters?

Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas: Does Age Gap Really Matters? Source: Instagram

Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas engagement may be in the news for all the effing reasons in the world but the age gap is not the reason I want to hear.

On a meme about Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas, a girl commented, "She might not have learned the acting skills, but she made up her Hollywood stint worthwhile with her cougar skills." Another guy commented, "Maa Bete Ki Shaadi Ho Rahi Hain Kya?" (Literal translation: Is this the marriage between a mother and a son). Moreover, if you log into your news apps, you will get tens and hundreds of such article, "You will be shocked (or amazed) to know about the Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas age gap" and so on and so that.

It is pretty disheartening to read such things.

I believe the problem is anything which does not conform to our societal makeup, we tend to criticize that, and the age gap is one such thing.

In our society, it is okay for an older man to date or marry a much younger girl, but the same societal equation does not work when an older woman dates or marries a younger man.

For us, it is completely unacceptable.

The part of this problem arises from our perceived notion of the male and female power structure. The male is equated with dominance and the female is considered as the subservient. The male gets this dominant status due to again our perceived notion of being wise, and this perceived notion of being wise is associated with the age.

So, it is okay for us when a man is older than the woman because he is the wise person in the equation, but it becomes problematic for us when a woman is considered wiser than a man. Because for us a woman cannot be wise and if she is, she will destroy the whole identity of the man.

However, she indeed destroys something. She destroys the fake male and female power structure.

It is not wrong to say that the man does not like to be challenged. It is frightful for him if someone challenges his perceived notions. For him, it is a challenge to his very own existence, and this is why he does not like a wiser person than him or in this case, the wiser woman, and this is why they say, such relationship between an older woman and a young man never work.

Having said that, a marriage can only work  if it is based on the love. The love which is pure, respectful, understanding, and free of any power equation. Something like you always know. All you need to have a look at them, and you will realize age really does not matter.