I recently got to thinking about a certain double standard that exists in our current society. An older woman who goes out to the bars looking for a younger man whom she can take home for "a good time", is referred to as a cougar. A 40 year-old male who picks up a consenting 20 year-old girl for "a good time", would most likely be referred to as a dirty old man or perhaps even a pervert.
A cougar (the animal) is one of the great cats. It is a cunning hunter that stealthily stalks it’s prey. Furthermore, it is a highly prized trophy for human hunters. All in all a very positive description. A dirty old man, on the other hand, is…well, a dirty old man. And the word "pervert" is even more negative. So why the double standard.
I wasn’t around to witness the sexual revolution, but I thought that the point of it was to bring about equality between men and women. However, it seems that the roles have become reversed now. What’s good for the goose is frowned upon for the gander. I think that if women are called cougars, the men who do the same thing need to have some sort of a special name. I’m thinking perhaps, "puma". That sounds like a majestic, cunning hunter.
So the next time a 40 year-old guy is feeling blue, go to the bar, grab a Beaver and embrace your inner puma by grabbing a girl half your age in a (consenting) embrace.
I’ll have to remember to use that as a reason as she slaps me on the face.
It is funny, because a lot of mature women see the label cougar as an insult and questio the double standard thinking they have the short straw. However, I agree with you. The cougar is a compliment and something mature women should embrace.
As for men, well they have been dating younger women for ages and I am sure they always will. I am just glad it is no longer taboo for a cougar woman to have a toy boy.
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