( LifeWire ) -- Older woman seduces younger man . Sound familiar ? It 's a scene from the 1967 coming-of-age classic `` The Graduate . '' Actress Demi Moore is 15 years older than her husband , actor Ashton Kutcher . But high-profile Hollywood couples like Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins ( 12 years her junior ) -- who met and began dating while filming an on-screen romance in the 1988 movie `` Bull Durham '' -- have proven that life can indeed imitate art when it comes to matters of the heart . Theirs , however , is a real-life love story of an older woman and younger man -- something that is not so uncommon nowadays . A 2003 study by AARP revealed that 34 percent of all women over 40 in the survey were dating younger men , and 35 percent preferred it to dating older men . `` Societal attitudes have definitely changed , '' says Susan Winter , 52 , co-author of `` Older Women , Younger Men : New Options for Love and Romance '' -- and she would know . At age 40 , she was dating a 19-year-old . `` We had to break it off . Quite frankly , his mother made it so impossible , '' Winter says of the six-year relationship , which inspired her book . `` But ( that kind of discrimination ) would not be allowable now . '' Hollywood in particular has defied the ageism stereotype , with celebrities like Madonna and Demi Moore marrying significantly younger men ( a 10- and 15-year age gap , respectively , with director Guy Ritchie and actor Ashton Kutcher ) , and the public has come to accept it . See photos of some famous May-December couples » . Moreover , says Winter , women have experienced a significant financial and status shift over the past half-century . `` When women as a group are able to have their own economic and social standing and have a power base , they are now able to pick the man that they want rather than having to choose the man to support them and give them social status , '' Winter explains . `` Now we have choices . '' But these relationships are n't always portrayed in a positive light . Terms like `` cougar '' ( slang for an older woman seeking a younger man ) depict the woman as a predator , rather than an empowered , independent and loving person . NBC aired a reality dating show this summer -- `` Age of Love '' -- that pitted women in their 20s against women in their 40s in a battle for the heart of tennis star Mark Philippoussis . Meanwhile , online dating sites like GoCougar.com urge older women who seek younger men to `` get what you want . '' Such pairings can and do work . Mary Pender , 37 , a high school special education teacher in Huntington Beach , California , connected with a truck driver seven years her junior who she met on an online dating site . Though she 'd always dated older men before , she `` thought it was exciting to date someone younger '' -- and , as it turned out , he thought it 'd be just as exciting a match . `` He thinks it 's cool that I am comfortable in my sexuality , '' says Pender . `` He likes that I am secure in our relationship and I have my own things to do without him . '' Indeed , the idea of dating an older woman is titillating for some younger guys . Jeremy Abelson , a self-styled dating impresario who organized the Natural Selection Speed Date event that paired wealthy bachelors with beautiful women this past February in New York City , can see the appeal . `` Any young guy who has seen ( the movie ) 'American Pie ' can basically say he was right there with the Asian guy and the white guy as they were cheering ... for Stifler 's mom , '' says Abelson , 27 . `` I was basically standing there cheering with them . And I think that 's a very common fantasy for young men . '' The potential issues between such May-December couples are the same ones that challenge the longevity of any relationship : different long-term priorities and emotional temperament . `` He 's not thinking about kids and marriage , '' says Pender of her boyfriend , `` and he bugs me when I forget to dye my gray roots . '' If you can work through these issues , the adage holds true : Age ai n't nothing but a number . `` When I finally found out how much younger he was , I was a little shocked , '' says Kimberly Schmitz , a 34-year-old communications and public relations director in Tucson , Arizona , of her now-fiancé , Bobby Kern , 25 , owner of a feed store and pet food distribution company in the same city . `` ( But ) he is such an amazing man that I decided to let his actions speak more than his statistics . I was right . He is the most mature and sensitive man I have ever dated . '' For Kern , the attraction is mutual . `` There was no fear in dating an older woman , '' he says . `` I prefer to date older women , and for some reason I always have , even in high school . It seems that they are easier to get along with -- there is , for the most part , no drama . Older women know what they want , they usually are in a career , are financially secure and not looking for a man to take care of them . '' E-mail to a friend . LifeWire provides original and syndicated lifestyle content to Web publishers . Jocelyn Voo is a freelance journalist and relationships editor at the New York Post .
Study : 34 percent of all women over 40 in the survey were dating younger men . Hollywood in particular has defied the ageism stereotype . Madonna and Demi Moore have both married significantly younger men .