What are your thoughts on this?
http://insidemovies.moviefone.com/2009/11/19/why-twihard-cougars-are-grossing-us-out/?ncid=AOLDSN00290000000007
Why Twihard Cougars Are Grossing Us Out
Okay, before all of you middle-aged Twihards get in a snit, let's just be clear. We're not slamming the movies. We're not slamming the stars. More importantly, we get it. The male stars of
'New Moon' and
'Twilight' are super cute. They run around with their shirts off and glower romantically. They're hard to resist.
But when we saw
this video (Twihard Mom Seeks Signed Panties from Taylor Lautner on 'Jay Leno Show'), well, we just got a shudder up our spines. Why? Well, it's simple. And if you're a Twihard cougar with teenagers of your own, you should get it immediately.
While
Robert Pattinson is 23 (and thus fair game, ladies),
Taylor Lautner is just 17. In other words, a kid. Legally, jail bait. And, while it's all well and good that teenage girls are chasing after him, it starts to be a little skeevy when their moms want him to autograph their panties.
We understand society has a double standard when it comes to teenagers. On the one hand, that other Taylor (
Momsen, of
'Gossip Girl' fame) is put into plenty of sexualized situations on her TV show, and she's only 16. Plus, even though she doesn't go topless, a la Lautner, she certainly works the cleavage and skin quotient on the red carpet like a full-on adult.
But when we see interviewers in their 40s and 50s drool over her like a well-marinated steak, we also say, ewww.
Both of these Taylors are still kids. And, if you're a parent, whether you're a mom or a dad, drooling over the same kid as your own kid, isn't that unsettling for you? More importantly, how would you feel if some of your friends were looking at your teenager the same way -- while having the same R-rated thoughts?
It may just be fantasy and good clean fun, but honestly, it doesn't seem like such a big step to go prowling for fresh meat at the next parent-teacher conference. Sure, cougars (and old guys with trophy wives) are all over TV right now --
'Accidentally on Purpose,' 'Modern Family,' 'Cougar Town.' But let's point out -- none of those characters are supposed to be under 18 or are played by actors under 18.
Go ahead and argue that, well, they're bringing this hormonally charged attention on themselves. They're dressing (or undressing) like adults, appearing in projects with mature themes and for all intents and purposes seem pretty darn grown up. Sure, Lautner certainly has the 12-pack abs of a grown man. But please, don't share all the stats on teen pregnancy and juvenile crime or how they do it in France, blah blah blah, that justifies treating these kids like adults. It didn't work for
Roman Polanski and it doesn't work for you.
Teenagers need to be able to experiment with the grown-up stuff that's right around the corner. But they shouldn't have to worry that their friends' moms and dads are waiting for them to bend over so they can check out their butts. So go to the movies. Read the books. Relive your youth and have a grand old time. Heck, go ahead and drool, just keep it to yourself. But please, God, keep your underwear on.