Hot Prowler

Look out, young studs — ‘The Cougar of Comedy’  is on the loose in Playa Vista

By Shanee Edwards

Botox? Check.

Cocktail? Check.

Desire to date much younger men? Double check.

Looks like Playa Vista has its very own cougar on the loose.

Of course we’re not talking about some rogue mountain lion stalking the Ballona Wetlands. “Cougar” is slang for an older woman stalking men at least eight years her junior.

This particular cougar happens to like telling jokes. Fortysomething Jillie Reil is a frisky standup comedian who calls herself “The Cougar of Comedy.”  When she’s not acting in movies and TV shows or producing live comedy shows to benefit the troops, Riel performs her “cute dirty” style of comedy at places like The Comedy Store, The Improv and Flapper.

Originally from the wilds of Minnesota, Reil came to Los Angeles 13 years ago with the intention of going
to law school. The juris doctor didn’t pan out, but like a big cat she sunk her teeth into standup comedy and still hasn’t let go.

“I love connecting with a group of strangers and making them laugh,” says Reil. “It gives me such a rush when I’m able to do it.”

Her comedy routine focuses on the challenges of dating younger men.

“I often joke that we just want different thing: I want to spend my money on trips, and he wants to spend his on college,” she says with a wink.

Then there are the dating apps. Reil has nine on her phone but claims to only use six. She calls swiping through the single men “window shopping for humans.”

She also finds the sprawl of the city can impede the chance of a second date. Reil says she’s met people she liked online and even if the first date goes well, “You’re over there, I’m over here, and that’s that.”

But she also claims to have recently had the opposite problem with a man she thought lived about a mile away: “It turned out he lives in my building,” she shares. “It’s a big building, but it’s a little awkward since I didn’t think the date went as well as he did.”

Another thing Reil worries about is how much information and photos of her are out there on the internet. Once, after Googling herself, she found her photo on a foot fetish website.

“I had clothes on … they are just random creepers who like my feet. My favorite comment was, ‘Her face is okay, but her feet — they’re divine!’ I’ll take it, thank you. It’s a good thing my parents aren’t that Internet savvy,” she says with a laugh.

But is Reil’s cougar lifestyle for real or just an act?

“I was more joking about it at first,” she says. “But I like happy hour, Botox and younger guys, so …”

She also says she loves living in Playa Vista because of its walkability. “I’m just so happy not to have to get in my car. And there’re so many cool bars, restaurants, yoga studios — anything you need is here.”

One aspect of Playa Vista that Reil curiously doesn’t mention is its close proximity to Loyola Marymount University.

Moms with sons at LMU, you’ve been warned!