Looking for some wholesome entertainment to share with the kids this fall?
Well, don't turn on ABC at 9:30 PM (8:30 CST), for in that prime time slot will be a new sit-com called "Cougar Town."
Yep, you guessed it: another show about mature divorced women seeking men half their age for -- ahem -- dates.
One glimpse at the following sexually charged preview, along with ABC's own description of the show, should give readers all they need to know (video embedded below the fold):
Can a woman of a certain age be a mom, a successful career woman and still be on the prowl? Jules Cobb (Courteney Cox) is about to give it a try.
In a small Florida town, the center of high society is the Cougars high school football team... which is wildly appropriate since this town is the natural habitat for over-tanned, under-dressed divorcées prowling for younger men. Jules desperately doesn't want to be one of them, but with an ugly divorce behind her and 40 staring right back at her, she's longing for a little more action in her life. The available men her own age, like her silver fox of a neighbor, Grayson Ellis, only seem interested in dating barely legal hotties. Egged on by her very married and very irreverent best friend Ellie and her determined assistant Laurie, Jules reluctantly dips her toe back into the dating pool. To her surprise, she hits it off with a nice young guy named Matt -- emphasis on the young -- and discovers this gal still has the goods.
Co-executive produced by Courteney Cox and Bill Lawrence (Scrubs), Cougar Town is the single-camera comedy that dares to tell the truth about dating after divorce. Juggling a teenage son with her thriving career and budding love life isn't easy, but before you know it, Jules will have you cheering, "Go Cougars!"
Yeah, with a son that just turned 21, that's exactly what I'll be cheering.
After all, a 40-something divorcée with several children and limited moral fiber is exactly what I want for my son.
Don't you?
—Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters. Follow him at Facebook and Twitter.
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Creepers!
July 18, 2009 - 10:19 ET by metaphorsbwithuCreepers! Anything to change the conversation, I suppose ... uh, a 40 year-old woman can have a conversation with a guy half her age, right?
Oh, that's right. Who actually thinks anymore, anyway?
How depressing!
metaphorsbwithu
TV's come with these wierd
July 18, 2009 - 10:20 ET by bazzarworldTV's come with these wierd things called "remote controls". It's new technology, but these things let you control the tv while sitting on the couch! They also come with the "Up/Down" channel buttons and the "Off" button. They can be used when you don't like a specific TV show that is currently playing. I suggest you use those instead of complaining about what's on TV.
Also, your son is 21 and you're still worrying about what he's watching on TV? Overprotective much? LOL.
bw
July 18, 2009 - 10:42 ET by Noel Sheppardbw,
Ummm - you've been a member for 29 weeks, and you haven't figured out that we analyze media here? As such, how could we do that without watching what we analyze? Hmmm?
Furthermore, using your line of reasoning, if you don't like what you read here, there's something called a mouse right in front of your eyes, and you can scroll away without commenting, correct?
As such, physician -- heal thyself!!!
That said, you really should do something about those poor reading comprehension skills. After all, my concern regarding this issue wasn't that my son would watch this program. Please advise how you came to that conclusion.
Furthermore, just out of curiosity, what is "bazzarworld"? Is this a personal moniker, or is your spelling as atrocious as your reading comprehension? :-) ns
"Wierdness" on a Saturday morning
July 18, 2009 - 11:22 ET by metaphorsbwithuTouché!
This reminds me of the Omama-bots and their obsession with silencing dissent and limiting free speech.
Oh, and I never comment about spelling (I make typos and spelling errors like everyone else) but I was wondering about that "wierd" spelling.
Just joining in on the fun. ;-)
metaphorsbwithu
Score:
July 18, 2009 - 16:01 ET by R D HelmNoel: 127
Troll: Still trying to get off the bench
-Dave
"...stimulus plan is 'working exactly as we had anticipated.'" - PrezBO
Dave
July 18, 2009 - 16:35 ET by RukusBwaaahahahahah! Very good man! You get a point for that! LOL!
Gary
Hey, Jimmah Che Obama! I want my country back!
Noel...
July 18, 2009 - 11:07 ET by FuzzlenutterThanks for bringing a smile to this old man's face with that spectacular slap-down on BW.
Ouch!
The video was "unavailable".
July 18, 2009 - 11:19 ET by msh1973The video was "unavailable". I did see the ad on TV...crazy place we have come in America. I do believe that Courtney Cox is past 40, DOB: 6/15/64; that would make her 45. I am just sayin....
45? OMG
July 18, 2009 - 13:59 ET by Timothy HShe's 45 and looks like that!!!!! Wow, I me.......ahem..ahem..(controlling myself).....Regardless of the attractiveness of the actress, the show is (working) playing of the alure of the star. But it's seems tamer than other shows. Isn't that a pathetic state for the industry to be in?
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe. - Albert Einstein
and just for blonde.....
Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints. - Timothy H
I'm all for letting the
July 18, 2009 - 11:20 ET by fitzfongI'm all for letting the market decide this one. From the clips, I can't imagine that the "must see" audience is going to overcome the amount of television viewers who won't know this show even exists. Can't see it having a shelf life of more than half a dozen aired episodes. Besides, the more people who complain about this program and how it's mere presence contributes to the erosion of the culture, the more free publicity is created for the show. Think of all the unnecessary extra buzz that "The Last Temptation of Christ" got because of all the protesters...if left alone to rot, it would have been an even bigger box office bomb than it was.
That said, as somebody close in age to Courtney Cox, I don't find her the least bit attractive anymore. On Family Ties and the first few years of Friends, she was very attractive...by the end of Friends, she was skeletal and annoying. Now she's so loaded down with botox and collagen, there's no life left in her face.
"I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered." -George Best
The Fall of Rome
July 18, 2009 - 11:23 ET by iveseenitallDisrespect for humanity. It's an old trick used by those who wish power and control. Between the media and the "representative" government we now have, the Fall is coming fast. Read the history books. Oh right, we don't read history ( or much else ) any longer. Sad.
NEVER,NEVER trust a "liberal"
And people wonder why I
July 18, 2009 - 11:25 ET by Kat Outta the BagAnd people wonder why I never watch network TV anymore...I'll stick to my real-life medical shows on Discovery Health, thank you.
Hollywood loves to project its family values...
July 18, 2009 - 11:31 ET by wnaegele...on fly-over country.
I
July 18, 2009 - 11:50 ET by jessieHI haven't watched ABC, CBS or NBC for years. Not gonna start now.
jessie... We haven't
July 18, 2009 - 17:36 ET by bigtimerjessie...
We haven't either...gave up trying a long time ago...was always disappointed, guess that was about the time Cheers left...tried some shows after that, we didn't care for them, so other than Jeopardy we don't even think about it in the evenings anymore.
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
Older Women
July 18, 2009 - 12:47 ET by TBARActually, I always preferred older women.
1- They don't tell
2- They won't yell
3- They can't swell
4- They're Grateful as he11
Life is too short to be serious
Have you been reading Ben lately?
July 18, 2009 - 18:52 ET by Vivaldi5Hey, TBAR:
You and Ben Franklin seem to be on the same page on this one. Ever read his "Old Mistresses Apologue"??? I wouldn't want to defend the way Franklin states his opinions, particularly lines like "So that covering all above with a Basket, and regarding only what is below the Girdle, it is impossible of two Women to know an old from a young one." (I assume he was trying to sound outrageous in what presents itself as a letter to one of his friends.) But he seems to get to the same place you do. :)
Absolutely not!
July 18, 2009 - 14:55 ET by katiejaneAfter all, a 40-something divorcée with several children and limited moral fiber is exactly what I want for my son.
I have told my son that I don't care about the race or color of the women he dates but if he thinks he's going to bring home someone who liked the same bands I did as a teen I will mock him to the ends of the earth.
kj
July 18, 2009 - 15:07 ET by Noel Sheppardkj,
You know I was being facetious, correct? ns
Sorry Noel
July 18, 2009 - 15:21 ET by RukusBut the post from kate was funny! LOL!
Gary
Hey, Jimmah Che Obama! I want my country back!
There are a number of
July 18, 2009 - 17:18 ET by balboaThere are a number of promising-looking shows coming this fall...this ain't one of them. It would be interesting to do a show about single 40+ women who find themselves attracted to younger men, but the preview of this looks like bad jokes, bad writing.
Looks to me like it will be
July 18, 2009 - 17:21 ET by Kat Outta the BagLooks to me like it will be about as deep and thoughtful as Desperate Housewives.
It's interesting that
July 18, 2009 - 17:45 ET by balboaIt's interesting that there's a similar show this fall about an older woman and younger man. It stars Jenna Elfman.
b
July 18, 2009 - 17:52 ET by Noel Sheppardb,
To me, this is low-hanging fruit (pun intended). It's easy, sophomoric, and what is quickly becoming a new genre which I'd like to officially name "Chick Sits".
Like "Desperate Housewives," and HBO's new show "Hung," this will play to middle-aged female fantasies much as a Harlequin romance.
Unfortunately, it's playing to the lowest common denominator based on the preview and premise, and will likely show middle-aged divorcees in a tremendously unfavorable light.
After all, if part of the point is the shamelessness of middle-aged men who leave their wives for younger women, aren't Cougars just as shameless? Is this new liberated female cruising bars for men her son's age something to be celebrated?
If the guy who divorces his wife of twenty years to date a twenty-year-old is someone to be disrespected, how is a Cougar something to be revered?
I guess the new, modern feminism stands for "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."
That said, wouldn't the premise be more interesting if while Courtney dates these kids half her age, she finds them intellectually and emotionally lacking much as the theme of the Steely Dan song "Hey Nineteen?"
As a result, though she's playing the boytoy field, she'd much rather find a real man who's her contemporary and her equal.
Not only might that make for more laughs, but it would have a stronger societal message, wouldn't you agree? ns
Ha Ha...."chick sits"
July 18, 2009 - 18:30 ET by BlondeToo bad their desired demographic is more interested in Burn Notice.
I can tell you from personal experience, as a 40-something divorcee, the toy-boy thing was vastly overrated. Although it offers moments of stupid comedy, it gets really old, really fast.
My prediction....cancelled after five episodes.
I hope he fails, too.
Noel
July 18, 2009 - 18:40 ET by DoktorFrankenI saw the Dan last year at the Chicago Theater -
Hey nineteen
No we got nothing in common
No we cant talk at all
Please take me along
When you slide on down
The cuervo gold
The fine columbian
Make tonight a wonderful thing
When they sang that last passage the crowd went wild. I wonder why?
Oh Jesus.
July 18, 2009 - 21:18 ET by someloudthunderYou are reading waaaaaay too much into a show. Really. This is to the point of an unhealthy obsession - an unhealthy obsession to find things that you don't agree with and giving them much more depth than they deserve.
Rachel Maddow has a short hair cut that shows all liberal lesbos in a negative light because her hair is short, therefor all liberal lesbos have short hair.
Rachel Maddow's a Liberal?
July 19, 2009 - 00:01 ET by ThermistoclesI guess I was just too obsessed with her short hair to notice. I'm pretty sure it is not an unhealthy obsession as I find nothing deep about Maddow.
I think the preview makes it
July 18, 2009 - 22:47 ET by balboaI think the preview makes it look bad, like they're writing all the predictable jokes, that's for sure. It's too bad, too, because Cox is funny.
I think the shamelessness comes from leaving your wife for the younger woman. If you're the leavee, then I think you're exempt. If the wife leaves the man for a 'younger model,' then heap on the shame.
I think the Elfman show is more along the lines of what you're saying.
That being said, I'll be skipping this for more entertaining-looking new shows.
Re New Shows
July 18, 2009 - 18:20 ET by slickwillie2001I've been watching Warehouse 13 on Sci-Fi/USA, just started last week. Great concept as long as they don't overdo it and get goofy. Kind of a meld between 'The Librarian' and X-Files.
This B.S. gets on the air,
July 18, 2009 - 18:50 ET by Free StinkerThis B.S. gets on the air, but the networks are cancelling "Kings", and have already cancelled "Life on Mars".
(loud sigh)
At least we still have "Burn Notice"
Cable shows are my new hope
July 18, 2009 - 21:31 ET by Radical1979Cable shows are my new hope for the future of t.v. Network t.v. has nothing I'm interested in anymore.
Life on Mars
July 18, 2009 - 22:33 ET by mom_roxHey, FS - Did you ever watch the original BBC produced, Life on Mars? (I watched it on BBC America.) I didn't even bother with the US version, because there was just no way to improve it.
~~save your tea, dump congress~~
BBC makes the best shows
July 18, 2009 - 23:15 ET by dumbanguishBBC makes the best shows and Americans keep trying to copy them. They made a program called "The IT Crowd". It is absolutely hilarious (I'm an IT geek, so that might be why I'm so fond of it). I got it from Netflix and it was a riot.
I'll never forget one scene from the first episode: The new supervisor is trying to impress the IT guys on her first day. So when one of the IT geeks walks into her office, she picks up the phone and pretends like she's having this important conversation. Making a big production of it while the IT guy just waits patiently.
And she finally hangs up the phone, looks up at the IT guy and says, "Now what can I do for you?"
The IT guy looks at her and says, "Hello. I'm here to hook up your phone for you"
I almost peed my pants laughing. :)
Did you try turning it off
July 19, 2009 - 00:43 ET by fitzfongDid you try turning it off and on? :-)
"I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered." -George Best
LOL. I loved the way they
July 19, 2009 - 01:17 ET by dumbanguishLOL. I loved the way they answered the phone with that question every time.
Or when they had the automated recording that asked people that. :)
My wife and I just finished
July 19, 2009 - 13:02 ET by fitzfongMy wife and I just finished the 2nd Season, and are going to have to wait God knows how long for the 3rd Season to be released. We were big fans of Father Ted, and, too a lesser extent, Black Books (Graham Linehan was behind both of those shows, too), so this one was a natural. The IT Crowd is a really funny show in the same spirit as Father Ted, so we were not disappointed. By the way, which big boss do you prefer, the father from the first season or the son from the 2nd?
"I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered." -George Best
Couldn't get into Life on
July 18, 2009 - 22:49 ET by balboaCouldn't get into Life on Mars, but it looked good.
Double Standards Much?
July 18, 2009 - 21:13 ET by someloudthunderSo Hugh Hefner can chase after 20 year olds in a silk rob and he's everyone's darling but a series where women are interested in 20 something guys is disgusting?
"After all, a 40-something divorcée with several children and limited moral fiber is exactly what I want for my son."
Really? Cry some more. Is there anything on tv that meets your moral standards and codes - so high and mighty one?
Hugh Hefner is only the
July 18, 2009 - 21:30 ET by Radical1979Hugh Hefner is only the darling of guys who wish they were him and women close enough to get to his money. I can't see Hugh on People Magazines Sexiest man list.
Hugh Hefner is a pathetic old pervert.
July 18, 2009 - 23:43 ET by ThermistoclesThere you go. I just fixed your double standard. ;-)
If you really think he's everyone's darling, it says volumes. Reminds me of the liberals who were shocked when Bush got elected because they didn't know anyone who voted for him.
Very little on tv is suitable for family viewing, but I wouldn't expect you to understand that considering your admiration of Hefner. Not everyone is standing in line to eat a crap sandwitch, let alone have them served to their family.
Conflict of interest
July 19, 2009 - 10:36 ET by ThoreauI personally like "cougar's", but not enough to watch anything on ABC. I don't go hunting for them, but I don't kick them to the curb because they're a bit older than me either. Age and experience dances circles around youth and stupidity when it comes to women in my humble opinion.