cougars vs. kittens: exploitation OR celebration??

on monday, june 18th, nbc will unveil its latest reality tv show "Age of Love". the premise is that a hunky 30-year-old bachelor will make out with a bunch of 40-somethings and fall madly for their wisdom and sexual sophistication. ohhhh - but then the young hotsies tramp along and try to tempt the young buck away from the saggy baggies. who will he choose? a young kitten or a hot cougar? meooow.

my question is this: is this show a sick form of pitting women against one another? is this another attempt to objectify women and magnify our nation's obsession with youth? my initial reaction was that of disgust. first of all - 40 isn't exactly OLD by any standard. (maybe because i'm closing in on that decade my damn self.) but i was more offended when i heard the announcer claim the bachelor would first meet the cougars. he would be seduced by that charm only an older woman has the confidence to possess. enter the REAL temptation - the 20-something kittens. what?! so 40-somethings are safe while the 20-somethings are the true blue-ribbon babes? not so much. AND they make it seem like reaching 40 is such an accomplishment. 90-year-olds working some sexy magic - now THAT's a feat.
but i digress.

so part of my wants to boycott the show. i'm tired of seeing women embarrass themselves by acting like silly little birds pecking each other to death over a measly pretzel crumb.

but part of me has no choice but to watch it. some of the contestants are real real hot. i'm sorry! i'm only human. and i succumb to eye-candy just like the rest of ya'll. i want to watch the beauties get smashed 'cause girl-on-girl action is close by. i have yet to see a show that does not show drunk girls making out on the dance floor. right before one holds the other's hair back so she can puke with dignity. it's horrible that i am drawn to such images, i know. but watching straight girls lose their inhibitions just really floats my boat.

and i want to see the older women kick those kittens' asses. the show can potentially highlight the sex appeal of women of all ages. the cougars have confidence and confidence makes for sexy women.

so wrong and disgusting as it might be - you can find me glued to the set come monday night. i will curse the patriarchal overtones and objectification of women. and i will cheer on the hot cougars with all their sophisticated sexiness.