Would this statement irritate you too?

[Wheretheresteqthereshope]

"Men fancy 20-24 year olds"

This is what my new partner of mere months said to me. I'm 34, the same age as him.

[BeingATwatItsABingThing]

What? He said that to you?!? I'm not one to throw this out there but LTB!

[BeingATwatItsABingThing]

Right, I've had a minute to digest. I have a question. Was there any context or did he just say it?

[timelytess]

Get rid. Why not?

[SanityClause]

As he can't possibly speak for all men, I would suggest he means that he fancies 20-24 year olds (what, all of them?).

Ask yourself why he would say it to you. Is he trying to make you feel insecure in the relationship?

That would be my take on it.

[OneArt]

Yes it would irritate me! Was he saying it's not their fault, the poor little men, they're biologically designed to maximise their chance of procreating blah blah blah?

What a twat.

[Wheretheresteqthereshope]

The context was a friend of his who is roughly the same age as us, messaging girls who are 20. I think it's odd as I remember being 20 and 30+ Was old! I'm not against age gaps, it was an observation, a generalisation if you like. And he at first agreed it was a 'little creepy' but then fired that back at me. Apparently studies have proven it

[BeingATwatItsABingThing]

I fit into that age category and I think I can say on behalf of my fellow 20-24 women, we don't fancy him.

[Wheretheresteqthereshope]

OneArt that's exactly what I thought.

[DoinItFine]

Dump

[M0rven]

He's trying to make you feel insecure and lucky to have him.

Red flag . Keep an eye out for more and don't move in with him yet .

[whattheseithakasmean]

OMG, he sounds awful. What he means is he fancies 20-24 year old women. Which sounds well dodgy to me. He is saying 'all men' so it doesn't sound as bad but in no way can he or does he speak for all men. Yuck.

[DownTownAbbey]

But actively pursuing them is creepy. I'd be annoyed he's defending his friend and livid that he thought that way at all.

[TheStoic]

Just tell him women fancy rich men, but you decided to overlook that due to his charming personality.

[BeingATwatItsABingThing]

Thank you for providing some context. My opinion of him hasn't changed.

[Wheretheresteqthereshope]

It's grim isn't it. Glad I'm not the only one who thinks so. How disappointing.

[user7755]

Isn't he your ex by now? What a twat

[user7755]

Being a twat

[OneArt]

Ask him for a link to these studies.

[SlinkyVagabond]

For men, read "I".

[Trifleorbust]

I think this is harsh. Men DO fancy 20-24 year olds. And 34 year olds. Some men only fancy younger women. The question is whether he means they fancy 20-24 year olds and therefore messaging one is okay, or whether he means they (and therefore he) fancy 20-24 year olds exclusively?

[cauliflowercheese14]

What a tosser. Get rid.

[BeingATwatItsABingThing]

Trifle, I think telling your DP (who is 34) that "men fancy 20-24 year olds" is horribly insensitive.

[FreshHorizons]

Does he realise that he seems old to them?

[DollyBarton]

My type of man wouldn't make a statement like that.

[Trifleorbust]

Twat: Only if he means exclusively, ie that men don't fancy 34 year olds. If that is his meaning, it's a LTB from me. If it's a simple statement of fact - that it is okay for his friend to message a younger woman because there is nothing wrong with fancying someone of 20-24 - then it may be slightly crass but it's not cruel.