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Dear Friends,

One of my guilty pleasures is watching “Dancing With The Stars” with my six year-old daughter. It’s fun for both of us, relatively wholesome, and we’re becoming experts on what constitutes a good Paso Doble or whose Samba footwork was better. And I have to say, we’re both fans of Mario Lopez, whose lightning-fast footwork and lean, facile hips lead us to suspect, as the Italian judge Bruno remarked once, that Mario has a “battery in his pants.” What a dancer. What a beautiful young man. It’s easy to appreciate Mario, in all his youthful machismo and suppleness and endearingly awkward brashness. Not to mention the dimple.

But in my fantasy-night-with-any-man-I-wanted, would Mario be my choice of parnters?

Not in a million years.

I like younger men. But younger men, with their hard bodies and callow natures, and their trendy skinny-clothes, are slightly . . . . well, underbaked. Have you ever eaten dinner rolls that should have been left in the oven just a bit longer? They don’t have quite enough texture, color or taste.

Which is why I’m here to discuss the most delectable variety of masculine treat . . . the middle-aged man.

We all become more sophisticated as we get older. Our needs change. Women want and expect more from a man--we want to be wooed, we want great sex, interesting conversation, a partner who can make us laugh, someone who offers stability and yet the occasional surprise. A tall order, yes? Trust me, it’s most likely to be filled by a middle-aged man.

Ever noticed how some men become exponentially attractive as they get older? I give you George Clooney (age 44), Tim Daly (49), Patrick Dempsey (40), Russell Crowe (42). You can keep Orlando, who is adorable but still a whelp in his late twenties. Give me a big helpin’ of Sean Bean (45), or Johnny Depp (42).

Generally, the years are kind to men in this way--the time, baggage and experience add something interesting and irresistible to faces no longer shiny with youth. By the time a man reaches his forties, he’s learned some lessons the hard way, he has some regrets, he has a few intriguing tricks up his sleeve. He’s also abandoned some of his self-interest, and has become more interested in the woman. A middle-aged man is a grown-up, so you can sit on his lap and not feel silly. He knows who and what he is, but he’s no longer certain he knows everything (a very nice quality.) Whereas the world was once black and white, he nows sees shades of gray, which makes him more complex, more understanding, and far more interesting as a dinner companion. He can’t acquire women without some effort, which means he’s learned a few necessary rules of courtship.

With a young man, you get fast, frequent sex. (I’m not against this, by the way.)

But with a middle-aged man, you get longer, slower sex, with a side of romanticism. And maybe even a little conversation afterward.

Are you a fan of middle-aged men? Care to speak up in defense of younger ones? What do you think men learn about relationships, if anything, as they get older?