Cougar Life- The Ultimate Catch
http://www.youtube.com/user/cougarlife?v=pw7NZ3Z49-Y&feature=pyv&ad=4746618163&kw=cougar
Watch this clip before you read my blog.
Dating Websites are perfect examples of how gender and sex is used to perpetuate stereotypes. The cougar represents a hunter, someone on the prowler to devour a weaker being. The women is sexualized in order to disguise her "evil" intentions. This connects to the ideologies that a woman can either be a Saint or a Slut, and nothing in between. Men however are represented in all shapes and sizes, they are fit, sexually appealing, but remain intimidated, and weak (to the point of falling to their knees) when in the presence of a hot older women. The below description of what a cougar is...is bogus. A Cougar is a hunter. This commercial and website play off the stereotypes of men and tries to challenge the stereotypical idea of a "cougar", claiming that she is "independent, successful" women, when she is really viewed merely as a sex object.
These two blurbs are from the Cougar Life Website. They describe what a cougar is, and what the criteria a man should have in order to be compatible a cougar. http://cougarlife.com/
"What is a Cougar?
Cougars are Women in their PRIME: independent, sexy and wildly successful. They enjoy men that are youthful, fit with the same zest for life. Cougars are classy, confident women that already possess many of the finer things in life — but now want the young, hot guy to go with it."
"What is a Cub?
To snare a true Cougar a man needs to be youthful, fit, unintimidated and of course sexually driven! These men can range from athletes to intellectuals, and from technologists to entrepreneurs and all points in between; they can come in all shapes and sizes, but one thing they have in common is the desire to possess a sexually charged older woman."
As you can see the criteria for men is not strict, insinuating that any man can hook up with a cougar.
Danger Powers
OMG! that video is hilarious! That website is also pretty rediculous. I enjoy how they have to set out guidelines for people who want to be a cougar or a cub. If you are not i wonder if they dont let you join??? That would be thee ultimate!
ReplyDeleteIm pretty sure if you are wildly successful as a woman you wouldnt be on the site looking for a cub to begin with.
-Durden32
Haahaaa that video was hi-larious!
ReplyDeleteI hate the whole topic of cougars! Honestly, I feel like once you have labelled these women, you have separated them from any other type of women on this earth who are dating. I mean who cares....as long as the male and female are legal. It's not my cup of tea (not now anyways), but what is for one may not be for another.
If there is a "cougarwebsite"--more power to them, it makes it easier for them to find a mate.
If you look at Freudian theory, though, you see he completely believes that women are envious of man's penis, envious of the power. The other thing is that boys desire their mother sexually and vice versa for girls and their fathers, which is always why I find this topic disturbing. This type of dating opens up these arguments, because these women are specifically labelled. The women can be seen as dating such a younger man, because of control issues and lack of power on his end (so I've heard anyways).
To each his own!
Aaliyah Jasmine
Ya I was going to say that the "Cougar" "Cub" distinction very much supports a mother-child dynamic.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that I think both the website and the video entertain is the idea that while a cougar is a "huntress"-- a "sexually charged" predator of young men, it takes a "true man" to "snare" a cougar. Thus a distinction is made between potent men and impotent men. The men in the video are rendered impotent by the "cougar"'s beauty, while (at the end) she invites the young men to be "true men" and hunt her. She invites them to objectify her, hunt her, posess her...
Gotta love dating sites!
Macho Muffin
I loved this clip! I just find it humorous that the cougarlife website makes it seem as though 'cubs' go after cougars because they are independent and successful. In reality guys go after cougars because they are usually 'easy' and desperate for sexual attention. They are so focused on maintaining their sexual appeal to the 'cubs'. Personally i do not think that being a cougar is empowering in any way. It is unfortunate, but one of my good friends (who i a 'cub' apparently) goes after cougars only because they are easier to pick up at bars and almost always a guarantee of sex. It is like a trophy hunt guys apparently.
ReplyDelete-Cat Woman
Wow. The site/clip are equally intense lol. But I agree with the comments above, if these "cougars" are so awesome/sucessful, I highly doubt they would need this site. It's funny how the term cougar is being spread like crazy right now, from this type of thing, to reality tv shows and even "cougar night" at Scuttlebutts!! I can't decide which is worse though, the cougar label or spinster. Hmm...
ReplyDelete-BritFan
Ah - good point about cougars and spinsters; at least the cougar allows 'older' women sexual desire, unlike the spinster. I just have to play with semantics, probably because I'm home sick today: if cubs are cougar mates, and cubs are baby cougars [because the cougar itself isn't female; only the human version]...then are cougars really looking to date women in their 20s?
ReplyDeleteThe Doctor
haha... good point Doc.
ReplyDeleteDanger Powers
WOW! Do I even need to to type "lol". So true Danger Powers that the criteria for a 'cougar' is so much more than for a 'cub'. Notice how a cougar could never be an 'average' looking woman in her middle age? Their always these women that still look like their 25-30 years old. Great find!
ReplyDeleteBy Silver :)
ReplyDeletePs. Ohhhhhh I like your thinking Doctor!
the animal imagery related to humans has been in literature since, oh i odn't know .. forever?
ReplyDeleteI am reading The Duchess of MAlfi in my english class and there is alot of animal imagery that is to compare both her and the domination over her by her brothers as being dominated by a beast or like that.
While I believe that relating humans (both male and female) to animals has been around for forever, It seems like the term "cougar" has become more accepted in mainstream with having "cougar nights" at bars and the t.v. show "cougar town" and what not. However, i believe that women (i know i kind of would) would be offended by the relation of them being a deemed an animal because of her sexual desire. BUT on the other hand, is there something liberating in being a strong independant woman (cougar) that well, i guess while i am thinking about it, has become masculinized to take on the male part of hunter and seducer.
I guess there is this tug-o-war going on between trying to be a strong, sexually independant woman and crossing over to the masculinized side to achieve it.
Where is this invisible tug-o-war rope? I want to cut it!
~Freddie Mercury~