The term ‘cougar’ was originally coined as a light-hearted way of describing an older woman dating a younger man. Think Madonna prowling around with Jesus, or Demi Moore being pawed by red carpet arm candy Ashton Kutcher. In short, glamorous and sexy women who gave their younger rivals (twenty-something ‘kittens’) a run for their money. Not any more. Now many believe it’s become a derisory term, with cougars considered sad rather than seductive (Demi recently told W magazine ‘I really hate that expression.’). And it seems the makers of Courteney Cox Arquette’s critically acclaimed TV show Cougar Town agree.
In an unprecedented move, they’re planning to change the name because they think it’s putting viewers off. Executive producer Bill Lawrence said: ‘[The studio] find too many instances of testing of people saying they would never watch a show called Cougar Town... and then they screen an episode and people go, “Oh, I would watch this show”.’
No other major TV show has changed its name with one successful series under its belt, but
- Michelle Davies
