I’m still having trouble reconciling the fact that for the better part of my 28 years on this lovely planet, I’ve been of the utmost in prudeness, and yet I find myself of late having these cougar-ish tendencies. I, in fact, blame it all on Young Guns. who gave me that little push I needed to fall over the edge into the dark territory.
But at what age must one officially wear the Cougar Sash? Is it OK to crush/date/socialize with someone who, while still in your decade age range, falls on the lower end of the spectrum, and all the while, you’re sitting on the porch, drinking lemonade and watching the sun set on yours?
I took my grandiose question to Twitter, which, I’m slowly learning (and loving!), has become our modern-day Ask Jeeves (Gosh, I always hated that aite…). Anyway, look what some of my “Tweeps” had to say:
What’s your verdict? Are you ever too young to be a cougar?
Man Candy Monday
Brownie bowls
MEMO TO MEN: Wow, really? Clearing the air…
Sponsor Spotlight: Chaotic & Collected Stationery Launches New Site
C. says
You're definitely too young to be a cougar… in my opinion, a woman must be at least in her 40s to grab that title!
Anonymous says
Is this the third time you've posted this?
Melinda Arnold says
Funny you should mention this! I just did a post about discovering the definition of Cougar….you know there is also the Puma, which is a younger version of the Cougar!
http://melindaarnold.blogspot.com/2009/09/cougar-xing.html
Tamerie Shriver says
Why does anyone have to be called a cougar in the first place? Just because you are dating/seeing/whatever someone who is a lot younger? Are men who date/see/whatever someone who is a lot younger called a cougar? I don't think so. My mother is married to someone 11 years younger than she. They got married in 1972, when my mother was 34 and my step-father was 23. Does that make her a cougar, way before her time? I think labels are just another way to try and control people, whether men or women. In any case, I don't think you qualify, unless, like one of your twitter comments pointed out, the object of your attention is 13 years old.
Annie UhOh says
Ditto, Tamerie! The cougar/puma thing is kind of amusing, but there's such a negative connotation to the terms, like they're desprate or predatory women. What's wrong with loving a little pretty? If we keep using terms like that, a woman going for a younger guy will continue to be seen as a strange, bad, scandalous thing. Let's get rid of that!
You know, I love this moment in the show "Bones" when David Boreanaz's character explained to the Emily Deschanel's Asperger's-esque character that 'cougar' refers to a woman who goes for much younger men. She replies that it's a ridiculous term because it means that all women are cougars.
Word.
Viewtiful_Justin says
You're too young to be a cougar. I think you really DO have to be over 40. At least 15 years between you and your potential mate…that's cougardom.
Hollehh says
okay, I'm going to sound really dense, but what is a Cougar? I don't understand…
Melissa Blake says
Hey Holl — a cougar is basically an older woman going out with a younger man. Think Demi and Ashton. 🙂
Freckle and Hyde says
No, you are not to young to be a cougar, although I agree with a couple of the other bloggers view on being stereotyped.
When I was 26 my boyfriend was 19 going on 20. We lived together happily for almost 2 years and we are still friends today.
I'd like to think, that within reason, age is just a number.
Hollehh says
thanks for explaining that to me mel, I would have been completly lost lol
x
Hillary says
Well I'm almost 20 but some of my friends think I'm a pre-cougar for liking guys that are 16 &17. That's probably weird for my age, but as you get older it seems like a bigger age difference is acceptable. Plus, who wants to date some old guy?
Kehly says
I've always heard the rule is half your age plus seven. So, if you're 28, divide that by two and add seven and you are cool to date someone that is 21 or older. Dunno if anyone else agrees, but it sounds good to me 🙂