Courtney Cox is a Cougar Town
photo courtesy the real janelle via flickr
First of all, I didn't even know the word cougar referred to anything other than a very large, fast wild animal until my brother explained the other meaning to me. A year ago. Then came a less-than-glowing tweet from my friend and novelist Malena about Courtney Cox in her new role in Cougar Town. Gosh, I hate the name of that show. I finally watched 10 minutes of it last night. That was all I could endure. Geez. I always liked Monica.
But, now comes a delightful article featured on More.com, a magazine for women over 40. The Accidental Cougar is written by an older Gen Xer (born in 1965) who is married to a younger Xer (born in 1975 of 76). It's a great article about generational differences in marriage. Merritt writes: "I can name all the characters on Welcome Back, Kotter. He can sing the theme to the Gummy Bears Cartoon."
What I most enjoyed was that the writer, Sharon Merritt, feels that she has no generation to call her own. In my research, I've found this to be so typical of Xers born from 1961 to around 1969. Talk about accidental. Their disassociation with any generation is accidental, fueled by lack of information or interest, I suppose.
12 comments:
Oh no, I love "Cougartown!" I laugh out loud every week at it. BUT, I am neither divorced, 40-but-trying-to-be-20, nor raising a teenager while trying to date, so I am far removed from the main character. I'm the boring married neighbor who can't go out on Saturday night because I'm too tired.
Having said that, I'm not a fan of the 'cougar' moniker, especially when a woman calls herself that. It's not a compliment and it's not something to aspire to.
Honestly, I hated 'Friends' the first few times I watched it; I thought the characters were all trying too hard to be their character, and I think Cougartown has that flavor to it. It's saturated with the quirky-wacky neighbor. But, it works for me now.
I also think Jules IS Monica 15 years later.
There was a Gummy Bears cartoon?
Wow, times have a changed. I remember when I was a kid we had grizzly adams, and he was grizzly and lived with a real bear. Now we have cougartown and it's a lady not an animal and she lives in the big city. What ever happened to rugged simplicity? Rob
@FLCONFETTI - I think the fact I was at one time over 35 with a child and single makes me hate it all that much more. But, you are so right - she is monica ffffiff--fffifff-fifffffteen years later. Oh, dear. I said. 15 years. Where did the time go?
@GENXPERT - ROLOL!!!! That's the same THING the writer said in her essay and the same thing I thought!!!! Wow. Something new for my Saturday cartoon specials. hahaha!
@ROB - Great comment. Luv it!!
In the first episode, when Cox's teenage son caught her fellating a young man closer to the son's age than hers, it actually extinguished the crush I had on her since the Springsteen video.
And of course we older Xers are ambivalent about our generational identity. Look at our choices ;-)
oh how i wish the word "cougar" was in use when my mom was still alive. she was SUCH a cougar!!! she always said "your dad was the only man who was ever my age...and you see how that worked out!" hahahaha
The word, the idea, cougar, its such a derogatory, nasty, put women in a box term and I properly hate it.
It would never be applied to a man.
My husband is 11 years younger than me, which makes me genX and him genY (hes 24)
If I was 24 and he 35, no one would even so much as raise an eyebrow, why should I or any other woman be associated with this nasty, she will get it where she can, term, cougar.
We will have our first wedding anniversary on the 13th and we are no different to any other couple...
Except he has no idea who the Thundercats are :D
Read the More article too and enjoyed it (I love that mag!). I don't watch TV but I can already guess that Cougartown was not on my list of things to watch. I think I saw a commercial for it online and knew there was no way I wanted to see it. I loved Friends and loved Monica, I also liked Dirt (took some getting used to) and was kind of bummed it didn't last longer. I bought the first season on DVD when I was home sick with the flu in Feb of this year. I have read a lot of posts recently about Cougars because of the whole Twilight phenomena, but in reality, there has always been couples that were older women younger men and vice versa.
@FRIAR - Disgusto!Now I know why Malena said it made Cox trashy.
@RE RE - That is so cool. I bet she carried herself just fine with that, too. Probably would have been a compliment to the term.
@UNDERSTANDING ALICE - Hoorah for you! I always think that if a woman marries a younger man, they will actually have more years together, b/c women live longer!
@ANDI - I'm still kicking myself that I didn't tune into Twilight sooner. =/
My husband loves Cougar Town. This whole cougar thing is really kinda funny to me.
no cougar town here in Aus as yet ... but we do know what the term means ... are not women who choose their own destiny and take back some power always subject to some mornonish name ...
any male behaviour - good or bad - that crosses over the gender gap from men to women is re-named in a derogatory (had to check another commentor to spell that :) fashion.
Men are assertive in the baordroom, women are bitchy, men are firm but fair, women are callous and calculating, men are applauded if the stick to their guns and defend a position, women are opinionated and overly emotional ... and the list goes on ... so is identifing with
being a cougar any worse than being a old fart with a convertible and a trophy wife ...
who's to judge - not me says the gen xer with the baby boomer hubby 11 years her senior and two lads under seven ...
hugs matey - aoplogies for the rave le xoxo
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