Ridiculous Cougar Myths To Ignore

Linda Franklin, founder of TheRealCougarWoman.com, debunks the top five myths about older women who love younger men.

Cougars are getting a bum rap—but you don't need me to tell you that. The media is having a field day portraying women over 40 as predators with only one thing on their minds—prowling for "Grade A" choice beef. Of course, this cartoon characterization was undoubtedly conceived by some immature male in the midst of a juicy, X-rated fantasy—but too many people are buying into the hype and believing it's true.

There are so many myths circulating about cougars, and there is nothing I enjoy more than debunking them. Haven't we worked too hard and busted through too many glass ceilings to sit quietly by? In my opinion, we need to flaunt our achievements. It's time to show that we won't be relegated to the category of man-hungry, sex-starved females on the attack.

Let's show the world who we really are and what's important to us.  

Here are my Top 5 Cougar Myths:        

1. Cougars are on the prowl. That's ridiculous. In fact, it's the younger men that are actually doing the chasing. We are busy with our careers, family and friends. Prowling simply isn't on our agenda.      

2. Cougars don't want lasting relationships. Show me a woman who doesn't want to be truly loved—it's in our genetic makeup. All of us want the right partner to share our lives with, regardless of age.

3. Cougars are sugar mamas. We've worked hard for our money and we are not ready to squander it on the first kid with washboard abs that asks us out. We understand the importance of being financially independent, and we want the man in our life to have that same commitment.

4. Cougars are sex-starved cradle robbers. It's time to let go of the Mrs. Robinson stereotype. We love sex but we are very careful about who we allow into our beds. We have the benefit of past experience and watch out for the red warning flags that signal trouble. 

5. Cougars are a passing fad. Older women and younger men have always been attracted to each other and that's not stopping anytime soon. But the image of what's right for women is changing—and it's about time! We are starting to kick the old double standard right in the butt.

I invite you to add your favorites below to this list of cougar myths. We have a very strong voice and it's time to let the world know how fabulous we really are.

Linda Franklin is the author of Don't Ever Call Me Ma'am: The Real Cougar Woman Handbook and the founder of TheRealCougarWoman.com.