Earlier today, Amazon released its list of the Top 20 Most Romantic Cities in America, accumulated based on sales of romance novels, and sex and relationships books. The bourgeois bohemian enclave that I call home - Ann Arbor, Michigan - is fifth on the list, which goes as follows:
1. Alexandria, Va. 11. Washington, D.C.
2. Cambridge, Mass. 12. Pasadena, Calif.
3. Miami, Fla. 13. Bellevue, Wash.
4. Irvine, Calif. 14. Seattle, Wash
5. Ann Arbor, Mich. 15. San Francisco, Calif.
6. Orlando, Fla. 16. Columbia, S.C.
7. Berkeley, Calif. 17. Tallahassee, Fla.
8. Scottsdale, Ariz. 18. Austin, Texas
9. Arlington, Va. 19. Richmond, Va.
10. Atlanta, Ga. 20. Knoxville, Tenn.
Furthermore, Amazon has designated Ann Arbor the Sexiest City in America because 24% of its "romantic" book purchases are about sex.
So how about them apples? I'm not sure how to explain this. We like to consider ourselves readers, so inevitably some romantically-oriented books could slip into that book pile. I don't think any of my current reading material qualifies, unless you count the issue of Esquire with Charlize Theron on the cover I haven't recycled yet. It's very romantic. Some of the pages even have fragrance.
A significant portion of the population is in school, so perhaps the student body is looking for diversion from its studies by... reading about student bodies. It's also a cold and wintry time in Michigan, so we're bundled up and staying in. Both circumstances can lead to some ragingly frisky cases of cabin fever. And if you're climbing the walls, perhaps some salacious literature helps to take the edge off.
Maybe the colors maize and blue activate some sort of chemical reaction in the brain and loins. Has anyone ever looked into that? Someone's getting a study funded at the University of Michigan on this in the weeks and months to come. (If you need volunteers, my e-mail address is located on the right sidebar of this page. I will carefully consider your proposal.)
Regardless of the reason - and I hope this fuels a community-wide discussion on the subject with town hall meetings, lectures, and sit-down gatherings scattered across the city - I'll certainly be keeping a close eye on my fellow Ann Arborites. I told myself I would try to be more friendly and neighborly this year.
(via Pop Candy)
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