The Rise Of The Cougar

This week, on MyFatPocket, my column is on the trend of older women dating younger men.

The Rise Of The Cougar!

My latest obsession is watching episode after episode of Cougar Town. A newly single 40 something Courtney Cox is thrown back into the dating game and realises that hey, young men find her hot! And that is what brought about today's topic – The Rise of The Cougar!

The term cougar has always been around. But in the past, a cougar was stereotypically a woman with big hair, who wore leopard print leotards two sizes too small and bright red lipstick. Cougar used to be a derogatory term for an older woman trying too hard to be sexy and preying on innocent young men.

But with the emergence of more celebrity cougars (Demi Moore, Susan Sarandon) and the Mrs Robinson character type emerging from fantasy to mainstream, the word cougar has been reclaimed. Its new meaning is a powerful, confident, independent woman of maturity, who appeals to men in their early to mid 20s!

So, if you're fed up with dating men your age (or older) and want to widen your catchment area, now's the time to check out that younger man!

The benefits of dating a younger man

1. Sex!!! Yes, he may be less experienced than what you're used to, but a young prey is an eager learner and will go all out to please you in bed. Bear in mind that women reach their sexual peak later in life, so a younger partner will have the stamina his older counterparts lack.

2. Looks. Now who isn't attracted to a healthy, tanned athletic 20-something body with nice abs?

3. Less Baggage. A younger man will probably be less jaded and cynical about love than an older man who has gone through a messy divorce or had many failed relationships.

4. Revitalising. Younger men are more spontaneous, energetic and daring. Very often, they are experiencing things for the first time, and for an older woman, a young man can be a breath of fresh air by adding a new perspective on things.

5. Biology. Women live much longer than men and an older woman may want someone who can keep up with her as she ages. Women now are also able to take better care of themselves (beauty products, surgery, etc) than in the past.

Although I'm not dating a younger man (at the moment), I'm encouraged to see that there are women out there who are confident enough to break social norms and go after what they want. Age is just a number and they're not going to let it get in the way. Kudos to the rise of the cougar!