Get a load of this, folks.

Just when you think ‘cougar’ is the go-to term for ladies with a penchant for younger men, along comes another term to wrap your head around.

This time it’s WHIPs – “Women who are Hot, Intelligent and in their Prime”, and leading the charge is Bibi Lynch.

She has written a piece over at the Telegraph under the headline “Now I’m in my 50s, young men want to date me: Welcome to the world of WHIPS“, so let’s just dive in and see what all the fuss is about.

Just check out this roll call of famous women and their men. Madonna, 59, is dating model Kevin Sampaio, 31 – the latest in a line of hot younger beaux. Mariah Carey, 47, is enjoying an on/off romance with dancer Bryan Tanaka, 34; and Demi Moore, 54, has reportedly been canoodling with actor Tobey Maguire, 42.

According to Madeleine Mason, dating and relationship psychologist and director of dating coaching company PassionSmiths (dating coaching company – jirre, now I’ve heard it all), women dating younger men has seen a marked increase in recent years:

“Age is becoming less of an issue for both genders. And age-gap relationships where women are older than their male partners have become more accepted, thanks to shows like Cougar Town and female celebrities marrying younger men.”

She cites a survey last year by Match.com that found that one in four women were open to dating men 10 years younger. ‘And there are now hundreds of dating sites specifically for older women and younger men,’ she adds.

Bibi is clearly unimpressed with that ‘Cougar’ label, calling it “predatory, naff, insulting to the woman and the man”, although she says the WHIP lifestyle doesn’t fulfil every need:

As thrilling as these men and dates are, it’s not going to get serious, is it? Not if they want kids and, like me, you don’t have  them. Being with someone, falling for someone, who would need to leave me  once their male biological clock began ticking wouldn’t be good for my soul.

Ultimately, the fun, baggage-free experience of dating someone younger  goes against what I want and need. I need someone who understands the baggage,  and I’m not sure a gorgeous young thing could ever truly do that.

So I must leave the young pups be. Perhaps I’ll wait until after the university holidays are over, though…

To WHIP or not to WHIP, that is the question.

Check out the Constantia La Parada on a Sunday, or Peddlars on any day of the week, and you might just see this one play out in real time.

I’m off to try and find something to write about that actually interests me in the slightest.

[source:telegraph]