WHAT’S AGE GOT TO DO WITH LOVE?

KT Intern Arathi Jain has a deep desire to explore the world, but doesn’t know where to start

On May 28, when rumours first started doing the rounds about that Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra were an item, after the duo were spotted in Los Angeles, like every other Millennial and Gen Z fan of theirs, I too was super excited. By June 22, it was confirmed or in the words of a social media addict, the couple ‘made it official on Instagram’. Tabloids all across the world celebrated their relationship similar to that of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s. But like every other celebrity couple, they too were targets of negative remarks and criticism on social media.

Here the topic of concern wasn’t their ethnicity, surprisingly, but rather it was the “AGE GAP” between them.

Many Indian Twitter users were kind enough to share their ‘highly valuable’ thoughts and criticism on how Priyanka looked much older than Nick.

Yet again, the Indian media proved themselves wrong by claiming to be a part of a progressive nation. It’s 2018 and it is disheartening to see that our perspectives are still similar to those of our ancestors.

This isn’t the first-time media outlets have attacked celebrity couples on the basis of their gender, age, ethnicity, and race. But what caused Priyanka and Nick’s relationship to garner so much of attention is the fact that SHE is the older partner in the relationship.

It was the same scenario Colombian singer Shakira and Spanish professional footballer Gerard Piqué Bernabéu faced when rumours of their relationship spread back in 2011.

On the contrary, if it was the man who was the older one in the relationship, it would not have been as controversial in comparison to that of the older woman – it would still be considered much more acceptable.

One of the root reasons why I think we tend to be ignorant is due to how we have been taught to perceive and process information. The way we think and perceive is shaped in accordance with the rules and standards of our society. Again these rules are formed based on one’s culture and belief system.

Similarly, the concept of an age gap is also the outcome of such rules and regulations crafted by society and bound by culture. These rules and regulations formed by society are often stagnant. And whenever these patterns are challenged by individuals not wanting to follow these rules, that’s when conditions such as cultural shock arise followed by an outcry of trolls and rude remarks.

It is quite astonishing to see how age-shaming can be considered okay. Back in the 16th century when one of the finest writers and pioneering figures of English literature William Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway who happened to be 8 years older to him, nobody batted an eyelid on the age difference between them. Oh wait! There wasn’t any social media platforms back then that could have been used to voice our “not so necessary opinions”. CT Interactive: Which is the last celeb scandal that got you all excited? Tweet us your thoughts @KTCityTimes. We’d love to hear from you!