As I was looking for an idea for a Valentine's Day blog, an article about the most romantic cities in the U.S. as determined by Amazon caught my eye. This seemed like a good place to start, so I read on.... Hmmm...#1, Knoxville, TN; #2, Alexandria, VA, very nice, but then, wait...WHAT?!! #3? Springfield, MO?! Seriously?! So I read on, dying to know what the criteria was that even put our town on the list. Turns out the list was based on sales data of romantic novels, relationship books, romantic comedy movies, Barry White albums and sexual wellness aids. See the article here.
Why in the world would Springfield be so romantic? So I considered the criteria, and noticed that a few of the items were things that might be purchased mainly by women. That brings me to the notion of female desire. It turns out that women don't go down the same sexual path that men do. Apparently, men have a very linear, distinct way of experiencing sexual response, based on the work of the sexuality researchers, Masters and Johnson. Recently, it has been argued that women aren't sharing the same experience--beginning from a more neutral place than men, women tend to have to make a conscious choice to even think about being sexual. A woman may engage sexually due to a desire for emotional closeness and intimacy or she may react to advances from a partner. There is an exception, however; women in new relationships or after a long separation from a partner may follow a more linear path typical of the male cycle.
So, how does this relate to the placing of our fair city on such an amorous list? Perhaps if we are reading, watching, and listening to more intimate and sexually arousing material, we are thinking more in terms of connecting with our partners. This allows us to get past that neutral place, making a conscious effort to choose to be intimate, leading to that romantic feeling. Which may precipitate the desire for Barry White music....as well as "sexual wellness aids." So, this Valentine's Day, before heading to a romantic destination for dinner, what about browsing the sex and relationship aisle of your local Barnes and Noble? Who knows, Barry White may be playing in the background....