Do cougars really exist? Or are these older women prowling for younger men just a myth, a phenomenon created by the media?
A recent study of age preferences among single women conducted by the University of Wales Institute at Cardiff resulted in the head researcher calling cougars a “media construct.”
Yet statistics prove otherwise.
According to a study of 50,000 women daters over 30, conducted by an online dating site in 2007, more than one-third of the subjects showed interest in men at least 5 years younger. And in 2003, an AARP survey revealed 34 percent of 3,500 women (between ages 40 and 69) dated men who are 10 or more years younger than themselves.
Then there are high-profile couples like Susan Sarandon (pictured) and Tim Robbins, who started dating in 1988. She’s 12 years older than him.
Or Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher, married since 2005. She’s 16 years older than her hubby. Even Madonna dated younger men, including her former husband, Guy Ritchie, who’s 10 years her junior.
But is this more of a trend — a rarity — than commonplace?
I wonder about why women traditionally date older men. It makes no sense when you think about it. Age, like many of us pushing 40 will say, is relative. But dating older men does have limitations. I mean, as we get older, our pool of available (and mobile) men shrink. Why put parameters?
***
To read all of Cat’s blogs, visit www.nonstophonolulu.com/thedailydish. Follow Cat on Twitter @thedailydish or send her an e-mail at [email protected].
24 Comments
I aspire to be cougar bait, but alas, I am aging out of that ideal age range.
@edmorita LOL, and I’m aging INTO it. 😉
Cat, women date older men because they value the wisdom, maturity and financial stability that comes with age. On the other hand, with women that have achieved that in their lives, they’re looking for youth, vitality and fresh ideas to power them on in life.
Sometimes, we’re nice guys and accommodate ladies of all ages.
Regarding age, someone once said the ideal age for marriage for a woman was 18 because of her peak fertility. For a man, it was 40 for the maturity and wisdom. If you reversed the gender, you can see that this would also be stable — if that is what is what the couple seeks and needs. How long it would last is another story. You asked about dating, not about the longevity of the marriage. 🙂
CAT,
Older women know what younger men are about. It is like a Mommy thing and they know how to make little boys happy. Younger men are intrigued because it is easier to have a relationship with a woman who knows “the ropes”. For the woman, it is validation that her being is still attractive physically and mentally. The opposite for older men, they want younger women because they are still little boys!
I grew up in a plantation camp where all the old Filipino men went back PI and bring back cute YOUNG Filipina wives. I think the women only wanted to come to Hawaii. Did they have Viagra those day? Guess didn;t need cause they had plenty kids. 🙂 hee hee
Maybe the thrill works for older women looking for younger men
Brother ED…. Couger bait is NUTZ LMAO!! i married a couger by 2 years…. Couger bait!!! Touche
My friends
Thanks for the good read……… Catherine……………
There are 88 single men to every 100 single women in the U.S. The fewer parameters you use, the better.
@strobie I’m with you. Less is more. 🙂
How did my reply get cut off??? Ack
@Melissa808 i like ur reply!
@Melissa808 Sorry about that Melissa. We had a bug when using “&”, but as you can see we fixed it!
My friends & I prefer younger guys (provided they’re not that much younger). Local guys tend to settle in and get boring fast, more so when they get older.
@Melissa808 you made a good point to Ed; cougar doesn’t = slutty. but it’s nice when the equation does balance. but then, i’m partial to sluts. if it weren’t for them guys like me wouldn’t have gotten laid until we were 20. and anyway, what is a slut? it’s a word men made up to describe and control a woman who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to go get it, sexwise.
Well, my wife is older than me by a couple of years…. We met at the company we both worked for at the time. The funny thing is that when we first started dating, I thought she was 2-3 years younger than me. She assumed that I was the same age or older (because of the way I acted – LOL). Age was never discussed until we had been dating for a few months. I still remember how I almost choked on the hot dog I was eating at the time when she mentioned her age. I must admit that when I found out, I did think about it by some… but, by that time we were both fully hooked on each other… and still are.
Hey, so what’s the age cut-off for cougars anyway…? I mean, you’re not a cougar if you’re 26 and dating a 24-year-old, right? So what is it… and, more importantly, am I getting close to that…?
When I was in college, I was stalked and eventually caught by a cougar, LOL!!! I guess I was east prey… And she rocked my world, hahaha!
“easy” prey… (typo)
Sorry to veer, but has anyone been forwarded the Frank Delima 2010 graduation speech, “Eat Rice?” Very funny, yet clever.
the cut off line for cougar eligibility is 40. if you are not 40 you are not a cougar. there is a cougarette auxiliary. you may be eligible for that. to join you must be a professional, college grad, over 33, with a documented history of ex boyfriends of equivalent age. you may be the dumper or the dumpee, it doesn’t matter. it helps if you have a cynical attitude about any man’s abiliity to commit to marriage. it also enhances your eligibility if you earn more than him, especially if you are both in the same field. one caveat: if the current future ex boyfriend is a working musician, you are not a candidate for the position. you are a whackdoodle dingbat.
Hello Cat!
What is the opposite of cougar? I’m 12 1/2 years older than my wife. 🙂
@M I believe that would be a cradle robber. 😉
I am older than my girlfriend by a significant distance and have heard everything from cradle robber to whatever. Doesn’t seem to matter she chased me, she caught me, and she doesn’t seem to want any of those young stud muffins no matter how much cash they or their daddy and mommy have. I apparently am doing something heinous and I have had some wickedly nasty things said to me mostly by women between my age and my girlfriends. By the time they were done I felt relieved they didn’t have a male of the species hunting license. As for us, all we know is we dig hanging out and doing things together. And frankly that is good enough for me. We dance, go to movies, like interesting restaurants, swimming, and a lot of other things. Her family likes me, mine likes her, and my guy friends are fine with it. So would someone please tell me why complete strangers feel it necessary to offer such asinine opinions? Agree she looks young for her age, most Asian women do, but she isn’t 16! She is very soon 27. And to my credit I have stayed very healthy and can still outrun most guys in full court with ease. Walk 18 without breaking a sweat. And if they want a better Viagra try using my blood chemistry. Why is it other cultures, countries don’t care as much about age difference but the USA populace does? We walk around her town and no one seems to care. And I can assure you no one asks me if she is my daughter… apparently they have a little more class over there.