In the 1967 classic film The Graduate, Dustin Hoffman says the lines that are now part of our pop culture; "Mrs. Robinson, I think you're trying to seduce me. Aren't you?" The answer as the movie unfolded was of course a resounding yes. The implication was that an older worldly sophisticated woman basically needed a young innocent boy toy because her husband was no longer up to the job. While times have changed the term Mrs. Robinson is now part of our vocabulary and refers to any older woman (also know as cougars) seeking younger men. What goes unnoticed is that the inference is still there. Namely that the only reason this older woman is seeking to be in a relationship with a younger man is to fill some physical and emotional void in their own lives otherwise why would she even bother? Why she would bother is for the same reason older men date younger women but nobody raises an eyebrow. 1. Desirability Far from emptiness on her part, older women see a younger guy that they think looks good so like any other female they go for it. They may have been in a previous relationship but at this point in time they are unattached. Both parties like what they see and before you know it a relationship has blossomed. It has no more the sinister overtones for older women than it does for older men or anyone else for that matter. 2. The Times While in days gone by no one really thought twice about older men younger women the same cannot be said about mature women. Society back then really gave these ladies the blues for daring to act like their male counterparts when it came to relationships. While some of the name labeling stigmas still exist, things have improved by a marked difference. It's only natural that some of these women who have a direct or passing acquaintance with those earlier times would feel free or at least more relaxed to take advantage of the changing attitudes. 3. Because They Want To No great mystery. Two consenting adults decide to have a relationship. They go through the usual courting rituals or dispense with them altogether if they wish. Either way they have made their decision. No one has been tricked or trapped into anything. Both parties go into the relationship with their eyes wide open. We have come a long way from the shock the audiences of 1967 must have felt when The Graduate premiered. For better or worse our society has gotten a lot more open and accepting towards older women younger man relationships. However the fact that people are using a movie character (complete with roughly the same motivations and sense of emptiness) from a bygone era to describe current relationships means that we still have a ways to travel.
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