Everyone has heard the saying, “Age is but a number.” For 69-year-old Emile Ratelband, the saying rings true. So true, in fact, that Ratelband took it upon himself to petition the court to lower his legal age. Was Ratelband’s reasoning rational enough to convince the judges that his birth certificate should be legally changed?
An Unreasonable Claim
No case like this had ever been proposed, much less examined by the Dutch justice system before. Even though Ratelband was biologically 69, he fell back on several arguments, some far more outrageous than others, attesting to the fact that he felt 49 both mentally and physically.
Tinder Troubles
Ratelband asserted that if he was 49, he would have more success on dating apps. “When I’m on Tinder and it says I’m 69, I don’t get an answer. When I’m 49, with the face I have, I will be in a luxurious position.” Ratelband is already a father of eight, but according to him, he has no plans to stop there.
There Was No Stopping Him
Emile Ratelband was notorious for being one-of-a-kind. Born in 1949, the television personality labeled himself a “positivity guru.” Ratelband firmly believed he could accomplish anything as long as he pulled the right strings. He even began his own far-right political party in 2002 called Ratelband List after being rejected as a lead candidate for the Livable Netherlands party.
Pioneer of the Supposed Movement
The 69-year-old motivational speaker approached a court in Arnhem. Ratelband’s claim? He didn’t feel “comfortable” with his date of birth: March 11, 1949. Could this case really be the gateway for people who wanted to be younger on paper alone?
Questioning Everything
Ratelband’s blind confidence was perhaps what spurred him to ignite a fiery battle over the one thing that is truly finite: how many years someone has been alive.
Dangerous Line to Cross
Ratelband asked the government to legally change his birthday to March 11, 1969. If Ratelband’s case was reviewed and genuinely considered, this could have a number of implications for the future of society.
Stirring Up Controversy
Ratelband compared his desire to be 49 with the needs of those who identify as transgender. His comments suggested that both gender and age were a matter of choice. Ratelband’s disregard for the implications of his remarks sparked international outrage…
Young At Heart?
Ratelband stated that he felt significantly younger than his age, maintaining that his overall quality of life would improve if he were legally 49. “When I’m 69, I am limited,” he said. “If I’m 49, then I can buy a new house, drive a different car. I can take up more work.” Unfortunately, that was far from the end of his argument.
Suing the Government
Ratelband believed his birth certificate should reflect how he perceived himself. So, for Ratelband, the next logical step in having 20 years shaved off his age was to sue the government.
Father of Eight
Although Ratelband claimed to have “a steady relationship with the woman of his dreams,” he was still actively dating and seeks to produce more children with surrogate mothers. By this point, Ratelband was already the father of seven children with another on the way. He then suggested something that would infuriate even more people on a global scale…
Liar, Liar
Ratelband believed that his age was limiting his chance of finding another willing partner. He wanted to tell them he’s as young as he feels inside. “But I don’t want to lie,” he added. Ratelband then went on to insist that every “decision” is simply a matter of free will.
A Free Nation
Ratelband said that “in Europe and in the United States, we are free people” who can make their own choices about changing their name or their gender. “So I want to change my age. My feeling about my body and about my mind is that I’m about 40 or 45.” He even offered a bargain in exchange for a ruling in his favor…
Proposing a Deal
Ratelband told the court that if they were to approve his age change, he would gladly delay his pension benefits for 20 years, as it was apparently the only “logical conclusion” of being 49 again.
Just Another Troll
Some deemed Ratelband’s “trolling” of the justice system a “stunt to undermine the LGBT community” and argued indulging his whims was both irresponsible and dangerous. Still, Ratelband persisted, claiming that he was not only mentally 49, but physically 49 by medical standards…
Young God
According to Ratelband, doctors had informed him that his body was that of a 45-year-old man. He went on to describe himself as a “young god.” In summary, Ratelband believed his age should be legally reversed because he felt as though his age did not reflect his bodily health. He also felt as though he was experiencing discrimination on Tinder.
No Boundaries
Perhaps the most contradictory and confusing part of Ratelband’s lawsuit: he doesn’t agree that the privilege of changing one’s age should extend to people who feel older than they actually are. Where would the line be drawn?
Final Answer
In the end, the court certainly had something to say about the matter, which they released via a written statement: “Unlike the situation with respect to a change in registered name or gender, there are a variety of rights and duties related to age, such as the right to vote and the duty to attend school…”
Lack of Facts
It was determined that there was virtually no evidence, neither on Tinder nor in the workplace, that Ratelband had ever faced discrimination for his age. If for some reason Ratelband had specific instances wherein he felt he had been discriminated against, the court said there were other ways to address them under the law. That wasn’t the end of their counterargument…
Free Will or Free Won’t
They alleged that were Ratelband’s request to be granted, all age requirements would become null and void. The court also refuted Ratelband’s perception of “free will,” writing that “free will does not extend so far as to make every desired outcome legally possible.”
Vanishing Act
The court noted that while Ratelband was completely at liberty to feel and act two decades younger than his actual age, amending his date of birth would result in the disappearance of 20 years of records, including births, deaths, marriages, and registered relationships. However, perhaps unsurprisingly, Ratelband wasn’t discouraged by the court’s decision.
It’s Not Over Yet
“The reaction of the judges is fantastic, is great,” Ratelband said. “You know why? Because we have a strategy.” What else could he possibly do to change the court’s mind?
Skeptical Crowd
Apparently, Ratelband had a plan to appeal the specific reasons the judge offered in the explanation of his choice to reject Ratelband’s age change. Ratelband, ever optimistic, said he expected for his appeal to be heard in the following months. The entire ordeal resulted in a variety of mixed reactions. For the most part, Ratelband’s actions were met with scorn and ridicule on an international scale.
The Aged Crusader
Ratelband thinks his case is a “precursor” to a larger aging crisis and considers himself an “age crusader.” He then said “[his] aging has stopped” in preparation for a long line of TV and radio appearances where he would be discussing the case. It seems, without a doubt, Ratelband is enjoying the media attention surrounding the media battle…
Condemned to Senior Citizenship
“I’m 69, but I like to work my ass off,” Ratelband said on how he feels “condemned” by his age. “I look at my biological age, and my biological age is 40, 42.” Ratelband’s assertion begs the question: how, exactly, does this senior keep himself feeling so young?
A Different Perspective
Despite Ratelband’s obsession with youth, he’s not hiding his age. He simply claims that his strict diet and exercise regimen has afforded him a “different point of view.” Ratelband’s day starts with an ice-cold bath every morning…
Ascetic Lifestyle
He doesn’t consume coffee, tea, alcohol, dairy, or meat. He doesn’t smoke or do drugs. Ratelband claims that his mindset has elevated him to another plane of existence. Apparently, he has lived this way since an encounter in the 1980s…
Things Are Changing
Ever since working with fitness guru and motivational speaker Tony Robbins in the late 1980s, Ratelband says that time has stood still for both his body and his mind. He also argues that in 25 years, people who are his age will feel 40. “Everything has changed… only the government hasn’t changed at all.”
One Foot Forward
The ways in which we now perceive age have always been shifting. In the middle ages, people were expected to die in their thirties. Delivering a healthy baby in your late forties is now possible…
Two Steps Back
The disconnect people may feel between how they act and how old they are is a conflict between chronological age and subjective age. Regardless, age discrimination is real, and there have been documented instances of prejudice toward the elderly in many realms.
The Depressing Reality
Ageism is prevalent in many aspects of life, especially when it comes to healthcare and employment. However, the Dutch court ruled that Ratelband “failed to sufficiently substantiate his claim that he suffers from age discrimination.”
Things to Come
Still, his fight against the government’s decision continues. “You’ll see this time,” he wrote in an email, “the victory will come closer. If necessary we will go to European court.”