Here are my initial impressions from interviews with men that have participated in the survey:
Most men I interviewed felt that the term Cougar does not necessarily have a negative connotation, although society often one. Men that have had experiences with women 10 or more years older than they are (or were) say that older women are empowered, confident, assertive, powerful, and sexy. Typically they say that these women have had a positive impact in their lives. Of course there are exceptions, but the majority said that older women made them feel more like a man, had less drama and more substance in their relationships. Some men were driven solely by their libido and they found older women were less inhibited and more open sexually. This was both a turn on and, for some, educational in the bedroom. They loved how older women took control and guided their younger lovers to great pleasure through gentle instructions that enhanced how these men felt about their performance in the bedroom. Their ability to satisfy an older woman was confidence building.
Many men in the study had very early experiences that shaped their young minds. They were drawn to older women knowing all the ‘goodies’ in store for them – especially in the bedroom. In relationships, they felt older women were a contributing partner which was a big plus in the men’s eyes. They felt that the term Cougar had a positive, not negative connotation. A recurring theme was that older women are sexy, strong, assured, empowered, mature, and with less drama. No matter how their relationships with older women ended, the men continued to look for older women in search of another enticing Cougar.
-Maureen Joy