If Hollywood is any indication, the pairing of older women and younger men is hot—and getting more popular every day. But does it hold true in real life?

From movies like Something's Gotta Give and Because I Said So to reality dating shows that pit older women against younger gals, the pairing of older women and younger men is becoming increasingly common.

In fact, there is even a new classification for older women who actively seek out younger men. They're called "cougars," and they're seen by some as the epitome of liberation in post-feminist times. But has the once-taboo pairing of older women and younger men really become as common and carefree a choice as Hollywood would have us believe? And more importantly, has society finally blessed this controversial union?

If you are using celebrity couples as your barometer, the answer appears to be yes. But go just a little east of Beverly Hills, and you're likely to read a different story.

"It's not exactly the way it's being portrayed in the media," says Sandy Caron, PhD, co-author, with Nichole Proulx, PhD, of a study on the implications of marriages involving women a decade or more older than their mates. In their research, published in the Journal of Couple and Relationship Therapy in 2006, Caron says that while the number of older woman-younger man pairings appears to be increasing to some degree, society has far from embraced the idea. Moreover, the bulk of our "scorn" still seems directed squarely at the reputation of the older woman.

• Returning to the dating scene
• Seven relationship problems and how to solve them
• Germ Warfare: Common cold and flu culprits

Better information. Better health. WebMD