Cougar: Age Disparity in Sexual Relationships and Significantly Younger Men

Lauren Corley
SOCIOLOGY 1160
Social Type
June 20, 2011
Social Type: The Cougar Definition: The definition of a cougar is an older woman anywhere from 35 and up that pursues sexual relations with significantly younger men. Cougars are attracted to and only go after men many years younger than they are. Cougars normally just look for sex in these relationships and do not plan on being in a committed relationship with the younger man. Cougars often dress very young by wearing tight clothes, lots of make up, and 5 inch heels. Many cougars bleach their hair, attend tanning beds daily, workout daily, have implants, and have undergone numerous amounts of plastic surgeries. They constantly work at keeping themselves as young as possible. Cougars search for men who are good looking and appear confident with themselves. Cougars are usually divorced women looking for sex to fulfill their needs. All in all, these types of women are highly attracted to young men and are willing to do whatever it takes to get what they want. Typology: There are many types of cougars, but the three most common are the rookie cougar, the typical cougar, and the wannabe cougar. The rookie cougar is the one still on the edge of becoming a cougar. She is undecided and plays the field to see if she is really interested. The rookie cougar starts hanging out in places where her other cougar friends may hang out. She tries it out and decides if she really can handle the cougar lifestyle. The rookie cougars tend to wear tight clothes but not as tight as the typical cougar. They try their best to load on the makeup to attract the younger guys attention. The rookie cougars may not know about the relationships that come along with the cougar lifestyle. The relationships are strictly sex and nothing more, and the rookie cougar may have a hard time adjusting to not having a committed relationship. The typical cougar is the cougar that most people see out in public. These women are over the age of 35 and proudly hang out with significantly younger men. The main difference between the typical cougar and the rookie cougar is the typical cougar isn’t afraid to flaunt that she is a cougar. She wants all eyes on her. The typical cougars are the ones who maintain themselves. They tend to wear skimpy clothing, a face full of makeup, and the highest heels they can possibly find. These are the types of women that are typically seen in college bars or other places where college kids may hang out. Typical cougars usually come in packs of five or six. The typical cougars are always loud and rowdy when in a bar. These women are divorced and are not afraid to fulfill their sexual needs with the youngest of the young. They want nothing but a sexual relationship and nothing more. The typical cougar is always on the prowl each place she roams to. The wannabe cougar is the woman who tries the cougar lifestyle out but really could never keep up. The wannabe’s are the ones who play the cougar lifestyle on the weekends or a couple nights out of the month. They are looking for attention, but are not brave enough to dive in the deep end to be classified as the typical cougar. The wannabe cougars try to find clothes in their daughter’s closets to wear out. They would never buy the cougar clothing, they just would rather sneak it out of their daughter’s room without them knowing. The wannabe cougars also are not stable enough to just have a sexual relationship. These women tend to say they just want sex out of a relationship but really they want a full fledged committed relationship. Newly divorced wannabe cougars look for a relationship right of the bat, but with the cougar lifestyle, sex is the only option for a relationship. Role/Status/Function: Regardless of what type of cougar one may be, their main goal is to look hot and fulfill their sexual needs with significantly younger men. They walk around with their makeup, whorish clothing, and high heels and attract any young man in their path. Most cougars fall within the lower class of status, but their are some cases that differ. Take Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher for example who happen to be 15 years apart. They are actually married and fall in a higher class due to their economic success with their acting careers. It is not accepted in most places for older women to be in sexual relationships with younger men. Many young men love cougars and are willing to give it a try. Most people have heard the world “Milf” and that’s what most cougars are classified as. The cougar lifestyle in the old days was immediately shunned, but today it comes a little easier to some people. There are even cougar dating websites on the internet for people to browse through. Cougars are looked down upon in many communities, but most cougars do not care what people think. Their sole purpose is to satisfy their sexual needs and they will do whatever it takes to fulfill those needs. Emergence: How someone becomes a cougar can take years of practice, but for most it comes on rather quickly. First, you are at least 35 years old and start hanging around your daughters friends who are at least 10 years younger than you. You start tanning, bleaching your hair, and hanging out in the gym every day. Cougars must spend numerous hours on their appearance and must always look top notch. An emerging cougar starts by going to bas that attract a younger audience, and then become very rowdy once inside and on the prowl. You tend to start being attracted to men who are 10-20 years younger than you who are fresh, good looking, and have a nice body. Escape: To escape from being a cougar is very simple. A cougar starts first by dating men their own age. These types of women escape being a cougar by hanging out in places suitable for older women where they can potentially meet older men. They quit hanging out with their daughter’s friends and proceed to hang out with friends who are out of college with stable careers similar to their own career. To escape being a cougar, one must start looking to be in a committed relationship with a man their own age rather than a sex fling with a man in their early twenties. With a little help, any woman can take the leap and escape the cougar life.