TV Cougars: Don’t tempt them

Posted by Dan April 17th, 2008 at 11:45am In Desperate Housewives Grey's Anatomy The Office

Rahr.

Recently (or, more likely, not so recently), pop culture has revealed the concept of the “cougar.” It’s a pretty ugly term, really, if you ask me.

It refers to a woman Of A Certain Age who has a notably voracious sexual appetite for the young mens. Perhaps it has something to do with the rising number of aging leading ladies, or perhaps it has something to do with the rejection of the notion that women can’t age as gracefully as men and retain all the same sexual appetites.

I don’t know — gender studies weren’t/aren’t on my area of expertise. Suffice it to say, a cougar is a lady who is pre-menopausal, post-wild-oats-sewing, empowered and confident. Think Kim Catrall on Sex and the City.

On that note, let’s have a dumb survey. Who’s your favorite TV cougar? (Needless to say, I’m feeling sick and can’t think very straight — you’ll have to let this post slide)

• Jan (The Office) - Not to make this the week of Jan, but she has made her love of her ex-assistant Hunter quite explicit. In a creepy way, to be sure.
• Katherine (Desperate Housewives) - This week, we learned that the character played by Dana Delaney was actually banging Teri Hatchers’ character’s teenage cousin ten years ago. She’s not necessarily the most likable character, but she’s got great hair and no shortage of sass.
• Addison (Private Practice) - I gave up on this show almost simultaneously as it began, but I do know that she had a superficial thing going for the guy who played Piz on Veronica Mars (remember that gross ogling scene on the backdoor pilot for Private Practice? Read that post, it’s much better than this one).
• Samantha (Sex and the City) - The cougar icon.
• One of the dames from Cashmere Mafia/Lipstick Jungle - From what I understand, these shows are chock full of ‘em.