In the program, Cox’s character Jules Cobb is a real estate agent who has recently started dating men in their twenties who are only a few years older than her son. Her dalliances with these men and her coming to grips with her age compose the overall plot of the program. In her daily life, Cobb is surrounded by an offbeat set of characters including her neighbor across the street, her young assistant at work and her ex-husband.

Grayson Ellis, Cobb’s neighbor across the street, is a male cougar, who courts women half his age (and presumably younger). In the second episode, he states matter-of-factly that “When women get older, it’s icky. When men get older, it’s adorable. It’s actually my favorite double standard.” The show seems to be exploring that double standard in presenting this male neighbor who is open about his relationships with younger women and Cobb, who is self-conscious about her behavior and who unsuccessfully tries to shield her son, who is more mature than both of his parents, from knowing about her new dating habits.

Although I like Courteney Cox in the lead, her dating adventures and boyfriends are not as amusing or as interesting as the friends and family members she finds herself surrounded with. For example, her recent boyfriend Josh was not developed as well as some of the other characters on the program and seemed to exist only as an accessory to the program’s lead. You could argue that the character was written that way for a reason but compared to the other characters and their eccentricities, he seemed rather boring.

Also, another major weakness of the show is its focus on crassness and vulgarity. While some critics may like that aspect of the program, the coarse jokes are often unfunny and unnecessary. From the overuse of swear words to the jokes about the process that Jules needs to go through in getting ready for her first night sleeping with Josh, the show pushes the boundaries of taste when it doesn’t need to. The show could be much better as an ensemble comedy about an older woman trying to bring fun back into her life without deviating into tasteless jokes.

As I noted earlier, some of the secondary characters on the program are strong and very funny. Cobb’s ex-husband, for instance, plays a goofy golf instructor who lives in a boat in a parking lot and who often drives around in a golf cart, much to the embarrassment of his son. Additionally, Cobb’s “male cougar” neighbor is an interesting side character. He generally dislikes people, even though he works at a bar, and he likes to torment Cobb about everything from the weight of her purse to the fact that she finds him attractive. On the other hand, Cobb zealously considers him her paper buddy (she likes to talk to him when they are both getting their morning newspapers) even though he often tries to avoid her. In the future, the show would be better if it focused more on the side characters in the program and Cobb’s quirky personality traits and it focused less on the crude aspects of her sex life.

Overall, the weak main storyline and the vulgarity hurt the program. Although some characters on the show have potential, the show has not found its solid footing yet. One day, “Cougar Town” may be a nice place for viewers to check out but for now, “Cougar Town” is not yet a place worth visiting.

Now to me, this whole cougar thing is a fabricated farce. My guess: it began as a media trend invented by female reporters as a way to comp their drinks. They could go out to bars, get picked up by dudes, and then write it all off as a business expense. And so it became a phony trend, just like “push presents” for pregnant women, key parties for swingers, bird flu for alarmists, and global warming for jackasses.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with older ladies having sex with young dudes–but don’t for a minute mistake it for “empowerment.” The title “cougar” insinuates that these older ladies are predators hunting for young men–when in fact–there is no hunting at all. Men are easy–and they’ll gladly pretend it was your idea if it means they get to see you naked. That’s the basic crux behind feminism, after all.

But the bottom line is, once “cougarism” or any lifestyle behavior requires its own convention—you’re pretty damn sure it’s a sad way to think of yourself.

Which is why I’m no longer a trekkie.

And if you disagree with me, then you’re probably a racist.

Tonight we’ve got two Andrews:

Andrew W.K.

Andrew Breitbart

plus:

Congressman McCotter!

and the delightful Remi Spencer!

Plus: if my mom’s awake….my mom!