Does a 20-year-old fully understand sexual consent when the power imbalance is staggering?
It’s a classic. A sophisticated older man entices a young maiden and teaches her in the ways of love, sexual prowess, and sometimes business acumen. Then, something sours. Something goes sideways. She wants out or he discards her. Then he gets ugly. He calls her names. He brags to his friends about all the sordid things she did.
We often see this story from the female point of view—she was young and naïve and preyed upon. The power imbalance could never be anything but imbalanced because he is older, has more experience, and is used to taking what he desires. Maybe he’s good at it, maybe he’s not, but one thing is for sure: He is not going to be scathed from this encounter. However, she might be.
What if this was all in reverse with a twist? What if a couple preyed upon a young man and took him under their wing in exchange for sexual favors and probably a certain amount of freedom for the male counterpart to chase all the tail he wants because his wife’s needs are tended to? How very Catherine the Great… How very Jimmy Bakker… How very…Jerry Falwell, Jr.