Jackie: Urbancougar of the Month, June 2009

Jackie

Urbancougar of the Month | June 2009

Age: 52

Hometown:  Long Island, New York



“I know where I came from, what I've been through, and how I came out of it, and it has made me the strong person that I am today!  You can't possibly know what that means when you're 25, and I think that is what makes older women very appealing to younger men.  You can't buy that in a bottle!  It takes years to develop.” –Jackie


You know what else you can’t buy in a bottle? A stunning, self-confident, and self-aware woman in her fifties. And Jackie is absolutely all of those things. The physical attributes are obvious. The sumptuous long blonde hair. The tanned, voluptuous body. The sexy, come-hither eyes. Jackie’s got it all. But beyond that she has the kind of intellect and wisdom of experience that she rightly notes we all find so appealing. She says for her being a cougar is all about having the “confidence to walk into any situation and know you’re not outmatched.” And even for a former radio personality that sense of power was not easy to come by. “It took a while for me to achieve personal self-confidence,” she says, but now she’s “feeling good and flying high.”

We’re feeling good and flying high, too, to have Jackie as this Urbancougar of the Month for June. We’ve fallen in love and can think of no better way to kick off the summer than with this Sicilian stunner!

Now on to the Q&A?

You say you feel like you're just reaching your prime. What does that mean to you?
It means that my confidence level is at an all time high! I always tell people that I was "invisible" when I was in high school.  When I got to college, I started to get noticed, but I got married soon after and kind of went into hiding.  Then there was the whole period of my life where I felt like I had to be a certain type of person because I was a mother.  When I was in my thirties, I thought my bikini days were over!  Now, here I am in my fifties and I can wear a bikini and blow away the majority of girls in their twenties.  At 52, instead of being invisible, I am in the top 1 percent of my age group, and I get noticed wherever I go!  This is fun, and was worth the wait!!

How do you think perceptions of women over 50 have changed?
People like Susan Lucci (who is in her sixties) and Sophia Loren (who is in her seventies) have completely changed the whole concept of being in your fifties.  But then, maybe it's the common denominator  - the Italian thing!  I am half Sicilian, and I must admit, good genes are part of my good fortune!

Do you feel more empowered now than before? To be sexy, ambitious, to live more fully?
Most definitely!  Why?  Because I am getting to the point where I just don't care about the opinions of people who don't matter!  This is who I am, I'm proud of who I am, and for every person who doesn't accept me there will be at least twice as many who do!  I know where I came from, what I've been through, and how I came out of it, and it has made me the strong person that I am today!  You can't possibly know what that means when you're 25, and I think that is what makes older women very appealing to younger men.  You can't buy that in a bottle!  It takes years to develop.

What's your opinion of the attention on older women in the media today?
The media is always looking for the next exciting thing.  The fact that some of us older women have refused to pack it in has made it interesting.  Let's keep it coming!

When you're out, do you notice young men checking you out all the time? How does that make you feel?
Yes, of course I do.  But not as much as I notice other women checking me out.  Any attractive woman knows what I mean.  I find it funny.  Any time I enter a room, there is always a woman who thought she was the hottest one in there.  Then I walk in, most often at least 20 years older than her, and she has to check me out - wondering how old I must be - checking to see if my breasts are bigger than hers, etc.   At my age I can laugh at this.  It's actually entertainment for me and for the person on my arm when I walk into the room.

Assume you've been hit on plenty by younger men. Any instances stand out more than others? 
Yes.  When I was in my early 40's, I was a radio personality.  I was at an outdoor concert where I ran into a fan.  He gave me a ride to another part of the venue, and while we were in the car, he told me that he wanted to be with me.   He was 21.  I mentioned to him that I could be his mother, and he said, "I don't care - can't we just have fun?"  I was fresh off of my divorce, and I had no idea what fun was!

You mentioned you're a workout fanatic. What do you do to stay so sexy?
Back when I was working out at home, I used to do 1000 crunches a day.  Now I have a gym membership, and I alternate between lots of different machines, along with cardio.  I'm not one of those people who loves working out - I just love the results!  My favorite part of the workout is when I have my gym bag in my hand and I'm on my way out the door!

Are there other things you do to stay hot and young at heart?
When you're tiny like I am, it never really feels like you're getting old. I'll always be a "little girl."  I will forever shop in the Junior Department. My mother is well into her eighties and still shops there!   Other than that, I highly recommend lots of good, red wine!   One of my favorite wine sommeliers claims credit for my youthful appearance!

Any words of wisdom for your fellow cougars out there?
Just remember to have fun.  When all is said and done, you might very well end up with someone closer to your own age, but that doesn't mean that you can't learn something from the young men who will come into your life along the way.



Wanna be the Urbancougar of the Month?