Review | ‘Age of Attraction’ proves age does matter
Collage by Riley LeBlanc, Photographer
If you didn’t think large age gaps were a problem in relationships before, watch this show and you will. Netflix’s eight-episode reality series “Age of Attraction” contradicts the very point it's trying to make: that age doesn’t matter.
“Age of Attraction” is a social experiment dating show featuring singles ages 22-60, all looking for a new approach to love. The premise of this show is that people should be able to date regardless of their age, and through the reluctance of that fact, pairs might form that otherwise wouldn’t in the real world.
Tens of singles go on a retreat together while dating and forming bonds without ever knowing their partners' ages. When they are confident in their choice, they go to the “promise room” to decide whether to continue their relationship, and their big secret is revealed.
The show hinges on the fact that the audience isn’t supposed to be able to tell the ages of the participants, but social media exists and I agree that this just isn’t realistic. Someone who looks good for their age and someone who looks young are two very different things, and there were many good-looking older people on this show who still very much looked their age.
Once I turned it on, like a car crash, I just couldn’t look away. As soon as I found out the ages of the paired couples, I knew it was about to get weird. It most certainly did.
The surprise twist is that all the couples have to live together once they leave the retreat, eventually meet their partners' family and friends and when they can no longer hide from the harsh realities of their relationships, all the drama starts flowing in.
The first couple to reach the promise room was John (27) and Theresa (54). They seemed picture perfect until they had to go out into the real world and actually be together. Theresa has an older son, as well as two more kids close to John’s age, and the complications of that reality immediately derailed their connection.
Then there was Vanelle (27) and Jorge (60), who connected instantly despite him being the same age as her dad. The issues started when they left the retreat — Jorge wasn’t entirely honest about the fact that he already has kids, and he was unable to accept that Vanelle was practicing celibacy.
There are two ways to evaluate this show. First, does it contribute meaningfully to the cultural conversation and spark important discussions? Second, is it entertaining and capable of holding the audience’s attention? By both measures, I would say it is moderately successful.
The only reality shows I enjoy are ones that try to ask a larger question and this one did: Does age really matter? But there is also a broader negative conversation on social media about why this was made in the first place, given some of the unethical or predatory elements.
The show was very entertaining for the first few episodes. There is a sense of uncertainty, since you don’t know whether these couples will end up together given their age gap. But when we got into the real world, I honestly found the premise quite boring. It was simply meeting families and friends and the occasional group gathering where some drama would spark and then fade away. I felt pretty creeped out watching a 27-year-old and a 60-year-old try to navigate a relationship when I couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that he was twice her age.
I don’t want to say that this concept is wrong in every circumstance; there are probably instances in which age really doesn’t matter, but I felt as though this series made me more skeptical rather than less.
Andrew (38) and Libby (22) connected instantly at the retreat, and I was actually somewhat happy for them until his friends came to meet her. Andrew’s close friends had placed a bet that she would be between the ages of 22 and 25. If his “type” wasn’t concerning enough, he proceeded to say he doesn’t need a stepmom for his daughters, who are 14 and 12, but it’s more about “big sister vibes.” Gross.
In a world where society didn’t stigmatize large age gaps, some of these relationships might have worked. Differences in life stages between people in their 20s and 40s still matter, and it’s probably for the best that they don’t end up together.
The more I watched the show, the more I questioned whether it was really the age that was getting in the way of the couples' success, or whether it was just that they might not be very good at relationships. I think, ultimately, it was a healthy mix of both.
