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cand86
09/23/09

In reply to Sorry Courteney: Cougar Town Is Crude, Charmless
Ugh. You know what was cool? When Courtney was Lucy Spiller- sexy and stylish, career-driven and competent, conflicted and three dimensional, and over 40. Or when Christa Miller was Jordan- sexy and stylish, three-dimensional and well-written, and over 40.

I can handle a "cougar" storyline in a show (heck, there's a reason it captivates us) . . . but I just won't be watching a show based entirely on that premise.
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Rooo sez BISH PLZ
09/23/09

In reply to Sorry Courteney: Cougar Town Is Crude, Charmless
"All of that claws-out humor is of a piece with the show's vaguely hostile attitude toward its female characters and their middle-aged dilemmas."

The show's, the reviewer's, the network's ...
I'm still a little bewildered she agreed to do it. Frankly (she admits shame-facedly) I was having fun watching "Dirt".

I'm also bewildered that "cougar" age seems to be descending, mainstream-culturally, to somewhere around 24,
especially because this
"Things she says: "All the single guys our age are broken, gay or chasing younger girls.""
IIRC, started when the single guys I knew and I were both about 18.
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PhillyLass
09/23/09

In reply to Sorry Courteney: Cougar Town Is Crude, Charmless
It seems the real problem is that this is a show about what middle-aged men *think* middle-aged women are like.

Also, I'm apparently in a very lonely minority, but I don't think Courtenay Cox is such an outstanding comedic actress. She's always struck me as pretty one-note and boring. And I can count on one hand the number of times I actually laughed at a Friends episode.
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nom.de.guerre
09/23/09

In reply to Sorry Courteney: Cougar Town Is Crude, Charmless
UGH. I didn't read this article, but that word - - "cougar" - - I've had enough. There's a HuffPo "article" today about "Hollywood Cougars" and their younger men (and underneath a photo of Ellen and Portia - WTF??). I simply asked whether we could grow up and stop using the term "cougar", and since when does lesbian=man, and some ass hat accused me of "baseless whining" and told me to stop it. No.. no, I won't stop it. I'm tired of women being called cougars, trophy wives, gold diggers, and any other number of words. I shall continue my baseless whining, thankyouverymuch.
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Rooo sez BISH PLZ promoted this comment nom.de.guerre was starred nom.de.guerre was unstarred

Rosaxé
09/23/09

In reply to Sorry Courteney: Cougar Town Is Crude, Charmless
Am I missing something? When has a leading female role not been given to an attractive woman? Why is suddenly her looks a problem now?
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maude_flanders promoted this comment Rosaxé was starred Rosaxé was unstarred

maude_flanders
09/23/09

@Rosaxé: When has a leading female role not been given to an attractive woman? Why is suddenly her looks a problem now?"

Exactly! This is still Hollywood. Cox has to be hot enough to, y'know, actually be camera-worthy, without being "hot" like the typical 22 year old actress expected to perform sexual favors for her middle-aged directors, producers and casting agents, or paired with a 40-something actor as a love interest (with no May-December angle in the script).
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shoroko
09/23/09

In reply to Sorry Courteney: Cougar Town Is Crude, Charmless
I have no desire to watch this show, and I still want to smack all of these reviewers. "She's too attractive - and don't mind while we spend way more time than we need to describing that" "Only desperate women objectify men in any way."

Seriously, does anyone say this stuff about Charlie Sheen? Whatever.
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maude_flanders promoted this comment shoroko was starred shoroko was unstarred

maude_flanders
09/23/09

@shoroko: Seriously, does anyone say this stuff about Charlie Sheen? Whatever."
Great point.

Still--he's just playing a version of himself, right? And boys will be boys, and God knows if you have enough money or are at least as attractive as Charlie Sheen, you can be a middle-aged asshole and still bag college chicks.

It's enviable or understandable for guys....among middle-aged women, it's described in a condescending term like "cougar."
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maude_flanders
09/23/09

@maude_flanders: Enh...that said, regarding the reviews, I think non-assholes could still legitimately argue that Cox IS likely hotter than the average 40-something divorcee (among the mortal realm, at least), but even then there are more guys (by Hollywood standards and "mortal" standards" of sex appeal alike) of all ages who would choose Megan Fox over Cox based on age alone. The younger the model the better, right? Even though both are hot brunettes and Cox is probably a little more intellectually stimulating/is a better actress.

I mean, even on 30 Rock (an infinitely better show) part of the premise that endears us to Liz is that, at least in the entertainment industry, Tina Fey is dowdy.

So with Courtney, even if HER character isn't working for NBC...she's as hot as Demi Moore but still old enough to make us theoretically sympathic when we see middle-aged male counterparts chasing teenagers.
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TessDuberville
09/23/09

In reply to Sorry Courteney: Cougar Town Is Crude, Charmless
I thought "real" cougars (not the kitties), were supposed to be attractive, it being part of the allure for the younger men?Am I missing something here, beyond the obvious "woman in their 40s and older may actually look like Courteney Cox"
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cand86 promoted this comment Edited by TessDuberville at 09/23/09 4:47 PM TessDuberville was starred TessDuberville was unstarred

cand86
09/23/09

@TessDuberville: I see what you're saying, but at the same time, it's like "MILF". A lot of women are attractive mothers, but that's not what the term is describing- it's pinpointing an archetype.

The same goes for cougars, I'd imagine. It's not so much that you fit the technical description (being over 40), but that you fit the archetype of the cougar. And Courtney just doesn't seem to hit it, for me (or a lot of people, obviously).

That's not to say that cougars are supposed to be ugly or unattractive- but rather that their age is supposed to show a little bit, and that's part of the attractiveness. It's a "she's hot BECAUSE she's older", not in spite of her age.

The show sounds pretty awful overall, but if I had to cast it, I would have gone with someone like Sharon Lawrence- she jibes with my idea of the cougar archetype much more than Courtney.
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AthertonMerriweather
09/23/09

In reply to Sorry Courteney: Cougar Town Is Crude, Charmless
Busy Phillips is too hot for this.
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HereComesMyBaby
09/23/09

In reply to Sorry Courteney: Cougar Town Is Crude, Charmless
The whole "she's too hot" argument is like, dumb. Why won't they just admit that the writing is the problem?
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BrutallyHonestBabes (aka Mrs. Sarah.of.a.Lesser.Hobbit)
09/23/09

In reply to Sorry Courteney: Cougar Town Is Crude, Charmless
But that is no excuse, and I mean whatsoever, for having that woman look at a shirtless young man and say, "I want to lick him."

HOW DARE THAT OLD SLAG SAY SUCH A THING?
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SomeAuthorGirl
09/23/09

In reply to Sorry Courteney: Cougar Town Is Crude, Charmless
I would like to ban the NYT from using the word "madcap" to describe anything not involving cartoon animals wearing clothes, speaking like people, and having implausible adventures.
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vulcanized
09/23/09

@SomeAuthorGirl: If it's gonna be "madcap", there better be some Yakety Sax playing in the background.
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leesie
09/23/09

In reply to Sorry Courteney: Cougar Town Is Crude, Charmless
They argue that Courteney Cox just doesn't fit in the role: She's still attractive, and thus bears no resemblance to real women over 40.

OK, wow. Just... awful.
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sybann
09/23/09

In reply to Sorry Courteney: Cougar Town Is Crude, Charmless
A friend's status update while watching: I mean REALLY???? Let's just watch the 'watch paint dry channel' or maybe a watch the grass grow channel.
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sybann
09/23/09

@sybann: I'd like to add: she had an advance DVD.
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CParis
09/23/09

@sybann:
LOL!! Time to put in the "flaming log" or "fishtank" DVD!
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sybann promoted this comment CParis was starred CParis was unstarred

sybann
09/23/09

@CParis: they make those? Where have I been - are they on a continuous loop? I'm thinking Fri and Sat nights when for some damn reason the networks think we're all out partayyying. Sheesh.
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ampersandparade
09/23/09

@sybann: During Christmas season you can get a burning log or winter scene On Demand from your cable company. My grandma blew up when she discovered this, and would gather the grandkids around the television in an attempt to impress them with her coolness. The youngest bought into it, and me, of course, because I love that whackadoo thing she does.

But yes, these things exist, and they are great.
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futuremouse
09/23/09

In reply to Sorry Courteney: Cougar Town Is Crude, Charmless
The first time I heard about this show, for one brief second I thought it might be a companion piece to that SNL skit "Bear City." Then I realized that sometimes shows named after animals are about animals and other times they are about ladies.
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BabyJane promoted this comment Edited by futuremouse at 09/23/09 4:09 PM futuremouse was starred futuremouse was unstarred

ritualtheory
09/23/09

@futuremouse: I love "Bear City." *That* show, I would watch.
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BabyJane
09/23/09

In reply to Sorry Courteney: Cougar Town Is Crude, Charmless
They lost me at coochie-cooch.
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BrutallyHonestBabes (aka Mrs. Sarah.of.a.Lesser.Hobbit)
09/23/09

@BabyJane: That's what 40 year old women say. 30 year old women say va-jay-jay.
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ritualtheory
09/23/09

@BabyJane: Those are the EXACT five-and-a-half words that came to my mind.
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ritualtheory
09/23/09

@BrutallyHonestBabes (aka Mrs. Sarah.of.a.Lesser.Hobbit): I'm gonna be 40 in a few weeks, and I just say poon. Kidding. Sometimes.
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sybann
09/23/09

@BrutallyHonestBabes (aka Mrs. Sarah.of.a.Lesser.Hobbit): 50 year olds say "my mantrap."
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