Trophy wife
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A trophy wife is a physically attractive young woman married to a materially successful man, usually older than her.
This term is commonly applied when a rich and successful man, who divorces his first wife, often with a generous divorce settlement, marries a second, much younger woman. In some cases this marriage pattern is repeated with subsequent wives. This marriage pattern is of special interest to anthropologists because it can be seen as a form of serial monogamy, and some claim that it is analogous to patterns of polygamy in other societies.
The term is often used to imply that the man's intent is to exhibit his wealth and success. This term is seen by some as misandrist, as it is a stereotype that implies wrongdoing solely on the part of the male, who takes advantage of an innocent, younger female while simultaneously wronging his older, previous wife.[[Citing sources citation needed]] The term "gold digger" is also used to describe the woman in the same situation, but with the emphasis on her wrongdoing: it implies that the woman seduced the man for his money.
The marriage of former Playboy playmate Anna Nicole Smith to oil magnate J. Howard Marshall is an extreme example of this phenomenon. At the time of their marriage, he was 89 years old and she was 26.
Examples in fiction
- A Man in Full by Tom Wolfe
- In the Fairly Oddparents episode, "Truth or Cosmoquences", Cosmo pretends to be a millionaire and married to pop singer Britney Britney, for his high school reunion.
- Loretta Tortelli marrying Nick Tortelli (ex-husband of Carla Tortelli) in Cheers
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