Hmm...Anyone else perplexed by the underage affair??

[daisy girl]

So um...when are they going to address the high school girl dating her teacher plot??? I have been waiting and waiting.

[Alura]

I'm a little concerned about that too, Daisy Girl.

There are several ways they could explain it away. I think the most likely is "She's a Senior, and eighteen, so she's legal."

They have built it up to be a sincere and mature relationship on both parts so it could really go anywhere.

Who knows what lurks in the minds of script writers?

Mr. Alura

[LFM2]

I think during the first episode, it mentioned that she was 16, and they only married because Susan was pregnant. You're right though about it being a mature relationship. Really though, dating an older person wasn't uncommon was it? When I was 15, my BF was 21. Good Times!!

I'm wondering if Susan and Bruce knew how serious the relationship was between the two, would they be opposed to the relationship?

Myself, I didn't have teachers that I would have dated. I could tell you horror stories about my teachers in high school.

[knb2004]

Well, as the political plot was unfolding it was revealed that she is "not yet old enough to vote". I can only make the assumption that the age of voting hasn't changed since '76, so safe to assume she's 17.

I do not know the age of concent in Illinois, in '76 or now, but regardless it's safe to say that such things are considered a bigger deal now than they were then.

[2inSanDiego4u]

Susan seemed a little concerned when she saw them together outside the grocery store campaigning for Carter. It looks like they consummated the relationship in the last episode, so we'll have to wait and see how things unfold. It might become an issue in a future episode, and hopefully we'll get to see them all!

[good times]

Originally Posted by knb2004

Well, as the political plot was unfolding it was revealed that she is "not yet old enough to vote". I can only make the assumption that the age of voting hasn't changed since '76, so safe to assume she's 17.

Yep, it has been 18 since 1971.

[lovinher]

Eventually I think this will blow up into a scandal. With today's attitudes it is hard to believe that they will let this go on and they live happily ever after.

I have to say though back in the 70's, at least in our high school, this sort of thing did happen and nobody gave a shit. Now the guy would be put in prison and rightfully so unless she or he was 18.

I really wish they didn't have this story line on THIS show. There will be people that relate this swinging. But I have a feeling that the writers are going to show that even swingers do not endorse this sort of thing. Somewhere there is going to be a message or moral to this story line. At least I hope so.

[two4youinswva]

Originally Posted by lovinher

I have to say though back in the 70's, at least in our high school, this sort of thing did happen and nobody gave a shit. Now the guy would be put in prison and rightfully so unless she or he was 18.

I guess it was about 1977, when I was in middle school. One of my teachers dated a guy that was a senior in high school. Everyone knew it, as he would occasionally drop by her classroom in the afternoon. I don't recall it being considered scandalous at the time either.

From my perspective at the time (which, obviously was from the eyes of a kid), those type of things didn't seem to be that big of a deal. Not saying that it was OK, just saying that's how it was. Kind of like at the turn of the 20th century, no one thought twice about 8 and 9 year olds working full time in a textile mill. Attitudes change.

[mnbryant]

The age of consent there and in the majority of U.S. states is 16. I learned this a couple of weeks ago to my surprise with the Christie Brinkley divorce where her ex had the affair with a 16 year old in New York. I have been taught all my life here in Mississippi that 18 was the legal age but it seems that it is just what society teaches. So unless the teacher is breaking school laws then she is fair game for him. Here is the link to my source hxxp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ages_of_consent_in_North_America

[knb2004]

I would exercise extreme vigilance if relying on Wikipedia to keep your ass out of jail. Overall, it's a pretty good reference, but I wouldn't use it for fact checking when being wrong means getting convicted of a felony.

[mnbryant]

That won't be a problem for me. On a moral level 21 and older fits well. Though that is only one of several places I checked originally wiki suits me fine since it's someone elses ass on the line.

[mnbryant]

Just be more specific and try to be accurate here is the link to the State of Connecticut which list variations in ages of legality. This is for interest of what laws really are and not for seeing if you can legally swing with a 16 year old.......morally and legally is 2 different things.......hxxp://www.cga.ct.gov/2003/olrdata/kid/rpt/2003-R-0071.htm

[bruncouple_nj]

Talk about missing the point....i thought she was in college

[Nudesailing]

i really have not liked where the teacher/student relationship has been going since the beginning.

[Gladiola4u]

I just think that it's another thing they have put in that because of the era that the show is based on. Now days that would be out of the question but those days did happen a lot more than we would like to think and nobody really cared.