Decoding Sex Appeal

My friend Sasha, the author of To-Do List (Fireside, November 2007), routinely solicits and publishes curious lists from strangers on her blog. Last week, she decided to feature the words of wisdom from a group of college juniors who put together a brief guide called "How to be sexy: for men." It ran:

• Accessorize ... once in a while, wear hats, watches, etc.
• Ask girls out!
• Be a gentleman. Open doors for girls. Smell delicious.
• Be a man. Squish bugs. Act brave, even if you're scared.
• Make eye contact, and hold it just a little bit longer than [it] feels comfortable
• Don't be afraid of touch.

(This is, of course, just a reproduction of the partial list. To see the complete lineup, visit Sasha's blog here.)

Sasha asked, "How would you advise others to be sexy?" So I promptly composed the following list, titled "How to be sexy: for women," and filed it as a comment under her post.

• Be able to banter
• Be playful in public
• Be sultry in private
• Be slutty in the bedroom
• Be the opposite of a prima donna
• Be vulnerable (without being whiny or helpless)
• Be nice to the waitstaff on romantic dinner dates
• Be silly
• Be sweaty
• Be on time
• Be quirky

Have I overshot? Am I asking for too much? But more importantly, if you know someone who fits the bill, please give her my email. If she asks you what I'm like, feel free to tell her I wear hats, keep a watch, open doors for women, will squish bugs (not for sport), and will make eye contact (but won't engage in a staring contest).

Why do I have Ali Larter's photo, you ask? Because she's my hero (technically, heroine) and she looks sexy when she sweats. Fair enough?