Granny Dating vs. Cougar Dating
The Cougar
Throughout history, the phenomenon of younger lovers being sought out by someone significantly older has always existed. When it involved an older man with a younger woman it was referred to as a “May-December” romance. However there really has not been a term to describe an older woman who pursues younger men. Enter the term: Cougar.
The designation of a “Cougar” was first used in 2007 as the name of a Canadian dating website. From 2007-2009 the term was used in a variety of television shows in Canada and the UK, such as The Cougar, Cougartown and even a 2007 feature film “Cougar Club”.
The accepted definition of a “Cougar” is any woman in her 30’s or 40’s who typically seeks out men in their 20’s with the caveat that there has to be at least eight years between her and her younger lover. The original term appeared to have been designed to describe the difficulty and stigma of being a cougar as being a shameful thing perpetrated by pathetic women.
But over the past several years the world has become much more sexualized, women, more than ever before, trying to retain their youthful, even sexy appearances well beyond the age most women in years past accepted their aged appearance. Thus it has actually become a badge of honor today for both the older woman and the younger man to be involved in this type of relationship.
With advancements in cosmetic surgery and easier, more affordable access to these options, many women today in their 40’s and 50’s have bodies that rival those of their thirty year old counterparts. This makes them more attractive to the younger male generation who would gladly trade being with a young, inexperienced college co-ed for a liaison with a much older, much sexier woman with a voluptuous body and oftentimes the luxuries her maturity affords like their home, vehicle and financial support. Hence the popularity of cougar dating, particularly in the USA, which is where this all started. The same phenomenon has now spread to Europe, where young Aussie men have found older Sheila’s to be sexually attractive and labelled them as cougars! One of the best web sites we have found in Europe for older women younger men dating is Cougar Dating.
Granny Dating
There was however a disparity between the definition of the term “Cougar” between Canada & the UK and the US. In the US the accepted parameters of a woman in her 30s & 40s wasn’t enough of an age difference for those in Canada and the UK, thus the term “Granny Dating” was born. And although it has just recently sprang up, it is beginning to evolve, especially within the online dating scene.
The Canadians and Brits consistently held that for a woman to truly be a Cougar she had to be beyond her 40s. They believed it was nothing remarkable for a woman to be within eight years of her younger lover. They thought if this disparity in age was truly going to become a phenomenon there needed to be a much more distinction between generations. At least 20 years in their collective opinion.
But since the term Cougar had already taken off in the US with its widely accepted definition practically in stone, they decided to create a term which more accurately described the age disparity.
The Difference
The only difference in Granny Dating vs. Cougar Dating seems to be one of a particular mindset or opinion concerning age difference. And that seems to be contingent upon which country you live in.
