Madonna: A 'Woman' Not a 'Desperate Cougar'

Last month, while stepping out in New York to catch a Broadway play, Madonna showed off her latest, ahem, acquisition. No, it wasn’t a newly discovered arm muscle from dancing 15 hours a day, the latest piece of Dior couture or a precious toddler orphan from Malawi.nnThe 55-year-old pop star has been reportedly romancing the youthful Dutch choreographer — who has worked with everyone from Beyoncé to Michael Jackson — since New Year’s Eve, when the pair met at designer Valentino’s Swiss château.  The revelation of this May-December relationship was about as shocking as Thursday coming after Wednesday.

Since her 2008 split from her fair-haired English director hubby, Guy Ritchie, her Madgesty has enjoyed the carnal company of swarthy, pillow-lipped young bucks with freakishly sculpted abs who could have been plucked from the same aesthetic conveyor belt.
First, there were reports she hooked up with A-Rod, who was a full-grown man of 32 — but still a good 17 years younger than Madonna. But in 2009 she really went for it: heavenly Brazilian model Jesus Luz was a babe of 22 when the then-51-year-old snared him. Then there was French dancer Brahim Zaibat, who was born in 1988, the year “Like a Prayer” hit No. 1. At the tender age of 25, he was replaced by Steffens.

God bless the ol’ gal — a lady’s gotta eat. Why shouldn’t she have the freshest ingredients?
After all, Leonardo DiCaprio and newly engaged Adam Levine regularly go to the Victoria’s Secret dealership and pick out the latest model — then follow that up with the next limited-edition version.  Before getting engaged to London barrister Amal Alamuddin, George Clooney practically made a cottage industry out of turning statuesque cocktail waitresses, C-list actresses and pro wrestlers into Cinderellas for a couple years before moving on.  Those horndogs end up praised as desirable bachelors, while the Material Girl gets snarky comments — and not just from men.

Sharon Osbourne called Madonna a “wet nurse” and said she was past her “sell-by date” while discussing the singer’s dalliance with Steffens on “The Talk.” And the comments section of any online story about Madonna’s dating life is like a middle-school slam book.
Maybe that’s not just because of her cougar status, but because she’s the only female celeb right now sowing her oats. The otherwise unconventional Lady Gaga is in a serious relationship. Katy Perry is a serial monogamist who sticks to guys who are her equals, career- and fame-wise. And with Taylor Swift, it always seems like the tragic elements outweigh the fun.

Madonna, like proto-cougar Cher before her, is all about fun.  And she’s stood up for herself, explaining, “I didn’t, like, write down on a piece of paper, ‘I’m going to have a relationship with a younger man.’ That’s just what happened . . . I just met someone that I cared for, and this happened to be his age.”  Why should she have to cruise ourtime.com for old farts?
So go on Madge, (and Cher), keep chasing the young blood. Maybe someday, you’ll be seen as a woman instead of a desperate cougar.