Making your way through the dating scene means sorting through a lot of mixed messages. The media tells us who we should be attracted to, and how it can help us find "the one." On the other hand, we're also told that thinking outside the box can open up new dating possibilities. Like dating so called "Cougars" perhaps?
Finding an ideal mate should make you happy,
and there's an entire population of women who are turning their backs on convention and claiming their power.
Cougars, older women who enjoy dating younger men, are big news and have been for a few years at least. An increasingly large number of women have said "no" to being viewed as the submissive partner, and taken the lead in a societal trend that seems to be here to stay.
Historically, a man dating younger women was the popular "May/December" romance, and never raised an eyebrow. But, "cougars" have always existed in one form or another, from Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate, to Stifler's mother in "American Pie," but their seductions were always seen from the male point of view.
However, they did lay the ground work for a cultural phenomenon. Now, with the increase of websites aimed at matching cougars and cubs, the playing field is evening out, and getting your needs met is a lot more socially acceptable.
Women like Madonna, who was married to younger director Guy Ritchie, have no intention of passing her power along to her husband. Quite the contrary, their marriage ended, she continues to blaze on - dating younger men in the process - and he gradually dissipated from the spotlight.
Other examples include Courteney Cox, whose marriage to David Arquette ended amid accusations that she was weary of being a mother figure to her younger husband. An older woman who would rather do without, than be weighed down by unnecessary stress. She continues to own the title by starring in a television show titled, what else, Cougar Town.
Before you begin throwing words like "predator" around, keep in mind that these so called cubs, the male half of the couple, are getting their needs met too.
Psychological imprinting has made the older woman vital to the mental well being of men. Mothers, teachers and babysitters have all played a nurturing role, and men tend to habitually recast these roles throughout their life. So, for those of you who view cougars as needy women, desperately trying to regain their youth, consider the fact that these women know what they need to be happy. and judging from the surge in cougar sitings, it goes far beyond sex and lust.
