It was the American socialite Wallis Simpson who famously said: “You can never be too rich or too thin.”
It certainly worked for her. King Edward VIII was so in love with Wallis that he abdicated the throne and married her.
High five, Wallis. That’s some girl power!
But this was 1936 and, let’s be frank, men were men in those days. They wrote tear-stained love letters from muddy trenches during the war, dueled with love rivals and serenaded women from outside their windows.
Nowadays you’d be hard-pressed to get a man to leave his living room, let alone his crown, and if you’re lucky enough to get an invitation to his local pub, chances are you’ll be asked to split the bill. and be a ghost the next day.
Wallis would be turning in his grave.
Dina Broadhurst is attractive and successful, but last month she found herself single again.
In today’s modern world, especially in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, I firmly believe that the more beautiful and successful a woman is, the more likely she is to remain eternally single, and time and time again I am proven right.
Before you scoff and think this column is about me, it’s not.
These are successful 40-year-old women. Radio presenter Jackie O, artist Dina Broadhurst and television presenter and model Laura Csortan are just a few that come to mind. They are sexy, stylish and financially independent and, as far as I know, all single.
All mothers, and all those with successful careers, I bet you don’t exactly need money, children, status or a man’s hand. But hey, we all feel lonely and having someone to come home to can be nice.
And I have the feeling that therein lies the problem. These women do not need men. And this is not good if you are looking for love.
Call me cynical, call me Debbie Downer, but if anyone knows men, it’s me, having spent a decade listening to them in my former life as Samantha X.
There’s one thing I heard from them over and over again about their search for love: Men don’t just like to feel needed, they need to feel needed.
And really, successful 40-year-old women don’t need men. Why would they do it?
You can’t be more famous and successful than Jackie O; However, her relationship with traditional model Jack Tyerman ended as quickly as it began and now he is engaged.
I always have time for Laura Csortan, who in 2021 spoke about how “difficult” it is to date as a single mother in Sydney’s east, where there are “too many players”.
Take Dina, Double Bay’s famous ‘naked artist’, for example. I mean, she’s so hot that I pore over her selfies, drool over her body, and I’m not even remotely attracted to women.
At 46, Dina is ‘The Body of the East’, yet she was (reportedly) dumped by Winnings Appliances heir John Winning Jr. last month and left heartbroken.
That?
And Jackie O… I mean, you couldn’t be more famous and successful than the queen of breakfast radio. However, his relationship with traditional toyboy Jack Tyerman ended as quickly as it began and he is now engaged to a much younger Asha Dillon.
I always have time for Laura Csortan, who in 2021 spoke about how “difficult” it is to date as a single mother in Sydney’s east, where there are “too many players”.
I know I speak for many women my age here when I say we have rich lives, good friends, and financial security after having children.
We’re not desperate to “put a ring” on a new husband, the wide range of vibrators on the market means we don’t crave sex all the time, and if we want to go on holiday at a moment’s notice, traveling alone is all the rage.
But as women, we still love men. We feel lonely and, yes, some company would be nice. But why is it so difficult to find and preserve?
I’ll tell you why:
1) Men are intimidated by successful women
I have a theory that men say They love successful women and are attracted to them, but when push comes to shove, their egos just can’t handle it.
Society expects men to provide, and a successful woman intimidates a potential male partner who, consciously or unconsciously, wants to play that provider role.
Also, if a woman doesn’t need a man’s money, he needs to step up in other ways and really work on the relationship. A fat wallet is not enough for these powerful women.
Amanda Goff has a theory that the more successful a woman is, the more likely she is to remain single.
2) Some men just can’t stand a woman being the “star” of the relationship.
A man in a relationship with someone like Jackie O or Dina Broadhurst has to be big in one department. No, not that one. I’m talking.
They have to be confident and happy with themselves knowing that they probably won’t be the ones people look up to and admire.
There is no room for feelings of inadequacy, big egos or resentments.
Believe me ladies, the dating pool will be small here.
3) Our financial independence means we don’t do anything stupid.
The older we women get, the less we tolerate. And if you have money, you can simply leave at the first sign of drama.
This is a good and bad thing: it means that women are free to leave at any time, but it also makes women perhaps too ready and willing to abandon a man when he hits a roadblock..
Many loving couples start out less than perfect, so running at the first red flag could mean giving up on someone special.
But then again, ask yourself this: if you’re a successful, confident woman in your 40s, why would you take a chance on a man who doesn’t tick all your boxes?
So the next time you read the social media pages and find out that Jackie or Dina are single again, don’t shake your head and wonder, ‘Why can’t they stay with a man?’
It’s probably not her; It’s him.