Cougar (noun)
A middle-aged woman who seeks out much younger men for romance or physical intimacy. She may be found in the usual hunting grounds: nightclubs, bars etc. She won’t play the usual games that women in their twenties participate in. Think a smarter, sassier Mrs Robinson, but without the bitter psychology.
‘Let’s go cougar hunting tonight, boys.’
Cougars – the cross-pollination of modern feminism and male fantasy – have exploded on to our cultural landscape and are currently on the prowl in a bar or club near you now.
These happy, confident good-time women are pretty clear-cut about what they want. It involves younger men and lots of bedroom action. What it definitely doesn’t involve are the three Cs of children, cohabitation and commitment.
Today’s cougars have a host of celebrity mentors to show them how it’s done. From the newly single Madonna, 51, dating 23-year old Brazilian model Jesus Lopez, to the 16 year gap between Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher and Mariah Carey’s 11 year seniority to new husband Nick Cannon, the older woman has never seemed more sexy.
It’s a trend that owes as much to physiology as it does to female liberation. Men are at their sexual peak in their late teens and early 20s while women reach it closer to 40. So when a young testosterone-charged bloke meets a woman who knows what she wants in bed, explosive sexual chemistry is inevitable.
Cougar Town, starring Courteney Cox, offers a witty take on the world of the predatory older woman. Married young and with a teenage son, her newly-divorced character (Jules) embarks on a journey to self-discovery surrounded by fellow divorcees and singletons eager to live or re-live a time gone by. Young attractive men, needless to say, figure high on their agenda.
Encouraged by her best friend Ellie and her assistant Laurie, Jules tries to enter back into the dating scene. To her surprise she meets a very young nice chap, and discovers that she still has what it takes. It’s a fabulously funny take on a modern relationship phenomenon and, it has to be said, 45 year old Courteney Cox is still looking mighty hot.
While you can catch real-life Cougars in a bar or club near you now, you can more easily catch Cougar Town on Living TV on Tuesdays at 9pm.
Tips for aspiring Cougars
Remember, age is just a number
Limber up. Yoga is your friend. Lithe limbs and flexibility are key for every Cougar.
Look sexy, not trashy. Young men can get trashy from girls of their own age.
Play hard to get. He needs to work hard for the prize.
Remain in control. You are running the show.
Don’t hunt in your own backyard. You don’t want to pick up someone who used to deliver your papers or cut your grass
Cafes close to universities are prime hunting territory, as are upmarket supermarkets and parks on a sunny day.
How to catch a Cougar
Be creative with your chat-up lines. These women have heard it all before
Don’t boast. The average cougar will have dated plenty of people who earn more, have a better car or a nicer house than you.
Bone up on your eighties music. Remember, Cougars will have spent their youth going crazy to classic old tunes and your knowledge will help take them back.
Dress to impress. Cougars may want a younger man but that doesn’t mean that they’ll settle for someone scruffy.
Smile at a cougar if you spot one in a bar. Separate yourself from your own ‘pack’ by going to get a drink and then see if she’s still looking at you. Don’t forget that you’re the prey so the chances are that she’ll come to you.