Love Island is again on our screens for its newest winter version, and we will not be extra excited in regards to the re-emergence of our favourite sayings like “robbed,” “it’s what it’s,” and “my kind on paper.”
However amongst all of the hair-raising early introductions, attending to know one another and letting them know what they’re searching for in a mate, there’s one time period that has alarmed us essentially the most: cougar. When describing what she’s searching for within the villa, contestant Olivia Hawkins repeatedly makes use of the phrase “cougar” to explain herself. And may we simply level out that she’s the ripe previous age of… 27. Sure, you heard that proper.
The time period didn’t go unsuitable with viewers at dwelling, with one particular person tweet: “This woman is identical age as me and he or she simply known as herself a cougar 😭 I am able to die #loveisland.” One other added: “Olivia is 27 and calls herself a cougar??Dpmo #LoveIsland”, whereas a 3rd added: “How are you going to be underneath 30 and name your self a cougar looool #LoveIsland.”
So why is the phrase cougar so offensive? Nicely, initially, the time period cougar was created primarily as a misogynistic and derogatory insult to disgrace girls for going for what they need in a associate. The time period can also be age associated, because it suggests there is a component of shock, or one way or the other disgrace, that girls of a sure age can “nonetheless” get their fingers on a lovely man a lot youthful than themselves. Along with that, it perpetuates society’s conventional therapy of older girls, which one way or the other means that they do not deserve one of the best, ought to be ignored by those that are youthful than them or unable to discover a youthful associate. with out having ‘hunted’ in any approach. on them.
And do not even get us began on the way it diminishes the qualities of a wholesome and thriving relationship, which ought to give attention to each people sharing the identical values, and as an alternative prioritize relationships based mostly on physicality.