sexism

Young men beware, "cougar women" on the prowl

Sophie Team Observers — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:05:56 +0200

Image posted on Flickr by "Nikki OK".

It's never been a problem for older men to have a young woman hanging off their arm, but when it's the other way round, then toy boys have long been best kept a secret. Until now... "Cougar women" in the US are coming out of the dark and flaunting their younger boyfriends. The only problem is, everybody's laughing at them.

A cougar is a solitary mountain cat which preys on pretty much anything that moves. Not a very kind depiction of older women who date younger men then. The term emerged in North America around ten years ago, and for want of another name, has risen to prominence mainly due to necessity - the number of women married to men younger than them has doubled since 1960, and a third of non-married females aged 40+ date younger men, according to research by over 50s lifestyle organisation AARP. The concept has been brought to the attention of the media by celebrity examples; the most famous being 46-year-old film star Demi Moore and her husband of four years, 31-year-old actor Ashton Kutcher.

A poll published on October 12 by Avalanche LLC, owner of various major US dating sites, found that for 89% of women, the appeal of "snagging" a younger man made them feel "that they still had it", and only 3.8% cared about being "stigmatized as a cougar or cradle robber". For the men, almost 90% said that they were interested in dating an older woman. Eighty-five percent of those said it was because "they have a lot of money and can take care of me", and 72% of the interviewees labelled older women "desperate and easier".

Meanwhile, TV network ABC has just released a series devoted to the species, which depicts them as desperate, lonely, and - in comparison with their male counterparts, or "silver foxes" - largely unsuccessful.

The Chinese don't find this sexist. Do you?

Sophie Team Observers — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:03:33 +0200

Hyundai's latest ad in China. Publicity for the car and a drive safely message rolled into one. Great. Except for women drivers...

Via Youku buzz

Women-only beach “an oasis of calm”

Sophie Team Observers — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:11:20 +0200

Ladies, are you dreaming of a beach void of men? Well dream no more. Just make your way to Pedocin, Italy.

Are you for or against mixed gender beaches? Give your opinion.

Berlusconi's macho image helps him win elections

Julien — Tue, 05 May 2009 09:42:43 +0200

One would think Silvio Berlusconi's wife's decision to leave him has put the Italian prime minister in a tight spot only weeks before the European elections. But our Italian Observer Alberto Celani says that the criticism is actually helping reinforce his "compassionate" and "macho" image.

The cover of the Italian magazine Oggi reads: "Berlusconi's harem". The photos of Berlusconi's villa were taken with a zoom lens. The Italian premier sued the magazine and said that he was with "friends".

Veronica Lario did not appreciate her husband's decision to add beautiful but politically inexperienced women to his party list for the European elections, but once again she swallowed the bitter pill.

But when Berlusconi attended an 18-year-old female friend's birthday, it was the last straw for Italy's First Lady.

In turn, the not-so-chivalrous Cavaliere demanded an apology from his wife, accusing her of "playing a joke on him in the middle of an electoral campaign" — for the third time.

Being a woman in Iran, 30 years after the Islamic revolution

Ségolène Team Observers — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 23:08:26 +0100

Photo: A demonstration by Iranian feminists in June 2006. Published on the excellent photoblog Kosoof.

On February 11, Iran marked the 30^th anniversary of the Islamic revolution that brought Ayatollah Khomeini to power. We posed four questions to our Iranian Observers, based both inside and outside the country.

Read responses from our other Iranian Observers

Berlusconi: offensive or hilarious?

Sophie Team Observers — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 18:02:37 +0100

A dispute has broken out in Italy after Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said the women there are "so beautiful" that the country doesn't have enough soldiers to prevent them from being raped. Offensive or funny? Our Observers in Italy comment on the most recent blunder from the king of gaffes.

The comment in question was made on Sunday, when Berlusconi announced that 30,000 troops would be deployed on the streets after a rise in sex crimes, including several brutal rapes in Rome. The idea has received mixed reactions: the 3,000 soldiers placed on the streets since August have failed to cut crime, and critics say Berlusconi is creating a police state. But what has really riled the public is the PM's joke, which opposition lawmaker Giovanna Melandri called "profoundly offensive". It's not the first time Berlusconi has been criticised for sexism. And it's not only he who's guilty. In response to his comments, granddaughter of fascist dictator Alessandra Mussolini said: "The fact is we need so many soldiers because there are so many ugly men".