As I recently participated in a shameful yet innocently coy conversation with a Harvard law professor, I was eager to understand what was so tantalizing about the situation. I am uninterested in romanticizing with a man 20 years my senior, but what qualities were sexually riveting? If I wasn't attracted to his age, what created an appeal to flirt back?
The sexy professor and helpless student relationship is a highly capitalized fantasy that transpires in more than just pornography. National headlines repeatedly surface, exposing sex scandals that show the marketed fantasy to have a realistic twist. On the sitcom "Friends," Ross Geller begins dating Elizabeth Stevens, one of his students, after she impudently notifies him of her attraction. Ross has an incredibly insipid demeanor and personality that is far from sexually alluring. His nervous laughter and incessant relationship failures are qualities deemed unattractive, but in his character as professor, all bets are off. Why is it that we fall, weak and vulnerable, to our professors? In any other context, a person who intensely studies political theory would be no more than a bookworm, but in the atmosphere of academia, they suddenly seem enticing.
To evaluate the circumstance, in any other situation, a person who is above the age of thirty, banal and still residing on a college campus would not be portrayed as the perfect catch, yet the fact that they hold an established academic title instantly sparks appeal.
There is something to be said for a professor's conduct. Their intellect, ambition and sarcastic banter are sexually attractive traits. The fact that they hold title and rank in the scholarly world is alluring. The idea that they are beholders of your academic success gives them an element of dictatorial status. Although professors have attractive qualities like everyone else, their attributes are accented by their powerful role as scholars and academic figures.
There are several professors on campus that drive students wild. Each department seems to have at least one professor that students find absolutely irresistible. Along with looks, these professors exhibit manners that students are smitten with. One professor is appealing due to his commanding behaviors, deep voice and rebellious front. His sly mannerisms and intellectual flair have students interested in more than political sociology. While nerdy etiquette is invigorating, some professors offer a more superficial fascination. Another professor exhibits a toned physique and playful personality. Often spotted at the Tufts gym, he has students infatuated with more than the theoretical approach to social behavior. A female professor was highly noted as a fan favorite by both male and female students. Her topic of interest currently resides in pornography, which instantly sparks the attention of lascivious college students. While she is incredibly sophisticated, she refrains from a pretentious demeanor and relates well with her humor and wit.
The inappropriate lust for professors is most often a confined attraction that results in no more than nervous conversations and a juvenile crush. The concept of power and a dogmatic persona are tantalizing notions that inspire curiosity. The characteristics that make us flock to professors are enhanced as they demonstrate a scholarly outlook and powerful facade. Out of context, our attraction might otherwise dwindle, but the fact that professors have such an important role in our lives increases the level of desirability. For those professors worried that wireless is the main factor deterring our focus from lecture, I would reconsider your position on that policy; it's not just the incessant Facebook.com updates that have us distracted in class.
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Logan Crane is a junior majoring in political science. She can be reached at Logan.Crane@tufts.edu.
