Should partners have a say in how their significant other dresses or who they can be friends with?

So, I came across something (not just once but many times), and this time it really got me thinking. I saw a video where a woman’s husband, who was really handsome, was smiling or being too friendly with another woman—I’m not sure if it was at a wedding or some other event. His wife gave him a look, and he backed off immediately. I’ve seen more videos like this where women don’t want their partners to have female best friends, or if they’re okay with it, they don’t want them being too friendly.

All of this seems to be considered reasonable and acceptable when women have these standards. But when a guy has the same boundaries, it’s often labeled as toxic or controlling. This isn’t a rant, just something I’ve observed over the years. Have you guys experienced anything like this?

There’s a kind of power dynamic I’ve noticed—when the woman is the most attractive one in the relationship and gets more attention, she doesn’t really think about these things. But when the tables are turned, and the guy is the more attractive one, getting messages like ‘you’re hot’ or ‘you’re sexy,’ it becomes a problem.

I had an experience like this once. There was a senior of mine who a lot of juniors had a crush on, and she was dating the most popular and handsome guy in school. He played games like partying with his female best friends, being super friendly with other girls, and purposely wearing tight basketball T-shirts (not sure what they’re called). Eventually, they broke up.