Sexual Attraction

Sweaty palms, rapid pulse, flushed face, these are the glorious signs which we all recognize from our quarterly employee evaluation interviews. They also occur when we become luststruck. Sexual attraction signals a number of complex physiological changes in the body: the autonomic nervous system revs up (which can mimic stress), the brain is flooded with a potent cocktail of chemicals (particularly "swoon"), and the mouth rediscovers romantic poetry: "Baby, your abs are fab." Originally airing on A&E's The Unexplained, which is why we're initially assaulted with butt cheeks and cleavage (since we don't want viewers to change that channel), followed by a way-too-long segment on a pair of swingers who extol group sex as the "solution to the unsuccessful practice of monogamy," this on-again, off-again program mixes a little bit of science, some pop psychoanalysis, a smidge of romantic insight (from Diane Ackerman, who doesn't belong in this hodgepodge), and a handful of case histories. We meet Kent and Sarah, a love-at-first-sight couple; Wood and Larry, a happily wed homosexual couple, and Ross Nelson, a pedophile serving time. Unfortunately, there is more sensationalism than science here. Every 10-15 minutes, the program breaks away with some stupid tag line such as "the reason for the lurid cravings of the pedophile remain cloaked in mystery" or "those who live it [the homosexual life] are tangible examples of the unexplained." Ugh. Not a necessary purchase. Aud: C, P. (R. Pitman)