Dating an Older Man v. Dating an Older Woman: What's The Difference?

Throughout history, men and women have been held to different standards when it comes to dating, love and relationships, especially when the issue of age arises. In the past, movies and media have bombarded society with images that suggest it is not only acceptable but a triumph for an older man to date a younger woman. Whether you watch 'Casablanca' with Ingrid Bergman, where Humphrey Bogart is 16 years her senior, or The Girls Next Door,' and E! reality show in which several scantily clad young women live and date Hugh Hefner, a man well into old age, the role of older man and younger woman has been comfortably inserted into the fabric of our psyches.
The image of an older woman dating a younger man has always been considered taboo, and those women who bravely flaunted their choice in the face of society were deemed sexual predators and labeled cougars or a "MILF". According to the urban dictionary, a cougar is a "35+ year old female who is on the "hunt" for a much younger, energetic, willing-to-do-anything male. The cougar can frequently be seen in a padded bra, cleavage exposed, propped up against a swanky bar waiting, watching, calculating; gearing up to sink her claws into an innocent young and strapping buck who happens to cross her path. Man is cougar's number one prey."

A MILF on the other hand is defined as a "mother who whether married, separated or divorced, a male individual sees as physically attractive enough to want to have sexual intercourse with."

These terms were obviously created by men, as their definitions imply that these women are only interested in sex or worth having sex with. The term cougars has swept the nation and even been embraced by the media. Popping up on our TV screens in 'Cougar Town,' and crossing the lips of Barbara Walters as she asked the ladies of 'The View' to explain what a cougar is, we are finding more and more women embracing the term and redefining it's meaning. With the marriage of Demi Moore to Ashton Kutcher, whose 15 year age difference has spawned a new level of acceptance for older women to date younger men, we are seeing a change in social perspective. Women are being seen as prospective partners in these relationships instead of just as sexual aggressors, and that is a great step towards equality of the sexes.

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