MILF (slang)

MILF, an acronym for "Mother/Mom/Mum I'd Like to Fuck". The phrase's usage has gone from relatively obscure to mainstream in the media and entertainment.

Overview

This abbreviation is used in colloquial English—instead of the whole phrase. It connotes a sexually attractive female, usually several years older than the person using the term.[1] In the UK, the term yummy mummy is used as well as MILF. The Oxford English Dictionary defines the term as "an attractive and stylish young mother"[2] while the top entry in the Urban Dictionary adds that this person is "under 30, while MILFs are over 30".[3]

The concept of MILF predates the term itself, as exemplified by Mrs. Robinson in the classic 1967 comedy The Graduate.[4]

The term itself was first documented in Internet newsgroups during the 1990s.[5] It was popularized by the 1999 film American Pie referring to Jennifer Coolidge's character: 'Stifler's Mom'.[1]

A 2007 article in New York Magazine stated that evidence the term had become mainstream included "25,000-plus MILF-branded mugs and tees on Café Press to a rash of hot-mama books (The Hot Mom’s Handbook, Confessions of a Naughty Mommy, The MILF Anthology), television shows (Desperate Housewives, The Real Housewives of Orange County, the forthcoming contest Hottest Mom in America, and a pilot in development called MILF & Cookies), and, of course, a concomitant porn genre (though the majority of these films simply feature women in their late twenties or early thirties—dinosaurs in the porn biz—defiling baby-faced 'pool boys' and 'grocery clerks')." The authors of the article went on to hypothesize, "How exactly did a once-taboo erotic fetish become a widespread, culturally sanctioned ideal, a perverse mix of branding and empowerment?"[4]

In popular culture

In 2002, a resident of the U.S. state of Washington applied for a vanity license plate reading "GOTMILF", a parody of the advertising slogan Got Milk. This plate was approved, but it was later canceled after complaints were filed against it.[6]

The 2003 music video for the song Stacy's Mom by the group Fountains of Wayne draws on the theme of a MILF in its storyline.[7][8]

In 2013, an apparel company, True & Co., parodied the phrase in advertising for its line of brassieres converting it to "Mom I'd Like to Fit". The campaign garnered negative attention for the San Francisco-based company.[9]

A 2014 article in Playboy magazine by Purdue University sex educator and researcher Justin Lehmiller referenced the work of Sigmund Freud and Alfred Kinsey to explain the fascination with the MILF phenomenon.[10]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Tristan Taormino (November 6, 2007). "The Rise of MILFs and Mommies in Sexual-Fantasy Material". Village Voice. Retrieved 2010-08-14. No one has nailed down the origin of the acronym MILF ("Mom I'd Like to Fuck"), although American Pie is credited with popularizing the term, which is most closely associated with teenage boys lusting for a friend's hot mom.
  2. ↑ "Home > British & World English > yummy mummy". http://www.oxforddictionaries.com''. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
  3. ↑ "yummy mummy". http://www.urbandictionary.com''. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Marrit Ingman. "Of MILF and Men - The sexy-mom phenomenon—is it hot or not?". New York Magazine. Retrieved 2010-08-14. How exactly did a once-taboo erotic fetish become a widespread, culturally sanctioned ideal, a perverse mix of branding and empowerment? After all, a hot mom used to be a tragedy, whether in the literal sense (Oedipus’ Mom-I’m-Fated-to-Fuck, Jocasta) or in the bittersweet Mrs. Robinson sense (“Oh, God. Oh, let me out,” begs Benjamin Braddock). Alternately, it was an insult: “Oh, yeah? That’s not what your mama said last night.” A hot mom was by definition a bad mom.
  5. ↑ An example of 1995 internet usage of 'MILF' predating American Pie.
  6. ↑ "End Of Road For GOTMILF License Plate". the smoking gun. July 21, 2004. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  7. ↑ Fountains of Wayne. Stacy's Mom. Virgin Records/EMI Music. Event occurs at 3:00–3:08.
  8. ↑ Layman, Will (15 April 2007). "Fountains of Wayne: Too Smart to Be a Rock Band, Too Smart to Be Anything Else". PopMatters. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  9. ↑ Moran, Lee (May 2, 2013). "Lingerie chain’s ‘MILF’-themed ad campaign sparks anger Consumers who still remember the film ‘American Pie’ aren’t buying bra retailer True & Co.’s ad pitch to the MILF segment: ‘Mom I'd Like to Fit.’". New York daily News. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  10. ↑ Lehmiller, Justin (August 24, 2014). "Why Do Guys Like MILFs?". Playboy. Retrieved 2 March 2015.

External links

Look up MILF in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.