Cougar (slang)

Cougar is a slang term referring to a woman who seeks sexual relations with considerably younger men. Typically, the term refers to women over 30–40 years old who pursue sexual relations with people more than eight years younger. The origin of the word is debated, but it is thought to have originated in Western Canada and first appeared in print on the Canadian dating website Cougardate.com, and has been used in TV series, advertising and film. The 2007 film Cougar Club was dedicated to the subject, and in spring 2009 TV Land aired a reality show called The Cougar. The sitcom Cougar Town originally explored the difficulty and stigma of many so-called "cougars".

The Graduate (1967) demonstrates how the concept is older than the term; a middle-aged married mother (Cougar mom) pursues a much younger single man (21 in the movie).

Twilight Cougars

Twilight is an example of a movie popular with cougar moms. One fan website, twilightmoms.com, has more than 30 thousand registered members. The size and strength of the fanbase has created difficulties for the actors, one of whom was "freaked out" when a 40 year old woman tried to remove her own panties in order for him to sign them. Some reviewers and critics are concerned and worried about the Twilight cougar phenomenon. For example, Debbie Schlussel describes cougars as "sad" and "pathetic", and reminds her readers the actor was only 16 at the time. Mark Driscoll, a megachurch pastor, describes the "rabid fans" who organise Twilight parties as "nasty", "cougar moms" and "cougar pedophiles".

See also

• MILF (slang)
• Age disparity in sexual relationships
• Ephebophilia
• Ageplay
• Jailbait
• Pedophiles
• Fangirl