Discriminatory Practices.
Also known as: The Demi Moore Phenomenon.

As a raving liberal, I often find myself far on the left hand side of most people's fences. Apparently, for once, I share a view that some of the mainstream media actually mentions quite often. I find the discrimination against single women terrible. More specifically, I abhor the term "tadpoling".

This recently came up in conversation with Gal-Pal and I, along with my mom. Why is it socially acceptable (and actually quite celebrated) for men to continually date women as much as 30 years their junior (reference: Jack Nicholson and Lara Flynn Boyle), but if a woman dates someone that's younger than they are, it's scandalous? Demi Moore has been the butt of many jokes for her relationship with Ashton Kutcher, but no one bats an eye at Paul McCartney marrying Heather Mills. In fact, so many people think it's an incredible love story!

ABC News had a great piece on this social discrimination phenomenon, as well as the fun site Dating And Hand Grenades (which I highly recommend ... if you have never read any of Che's columns, you are missing out).

I have been on both sides of a age-challenged relationship. During my freshman year of college, I dated a man that was 28. I was 18. It went no farther than a few episodes of Seinfeld and a beer or two (and one innocent kiss), but as he was an upstart attorney, just graduated from law school and passed the bar ... I think that his firm frowned on the relationship. After graduating from college, I dated a very sweet guy. I was 22, he was 17. Really, it was nothing more than a summer fling, but I still get the "Mrs. Robinson" jokes from time to time about it. I think that it takes a very special man to keep up with me, regardless of his age.

Can I get a witness?