NPR

A Very Offensive Rom-Com

Should we be hacking our desire to match our values?
Artwork by <a href="https://www.christina-chung.com/" target="_blank">Christina Chung</a>.

A young woman discovers a disturbing pattern in her dating life - a pattern that challenges her very conception of who she is and what she believes in. The epiphany sets her off on a quest to change her attractions. But is this even possible? And should we be hacking our desire to match our values?

To our listeners:

If you're looking for a deeper dive into the science of preferences, racial preference hierarchies and their impact, or the history and politics of Asian-American sexuality, here are some of the academic resources we used to research this episode.

PRIMACY OF FIRST EXPERIENCES

Somatosensory conditioning of sexual arousal and copulatory behavior

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR1 min read
New Music Friday: The best albums out June 14
This week, NPR Music's Daoud Tyler-Ameen and Ann Powers steer the New Music Friday podcast straight into the oncoming Father's Day weekend, following the lead of country superstar Luke Combs, whose new album Fathers & Sons is a heartfelt meditati
NPR1 min read
Bringing A Tariff To A Graphite Fight
Graphite is sort of the one-hit wonder of minerals. And that hit? Pencils. Everyone loves to talk about pencils when it comes to graphite. If graphite were to perform a concert, they'd close out the show with "pencils," and everyone would clap and ch
NPR1 min read
The Sunday Story: Roy Wood Jr. on the Road to Rickwood
What does a comedian know about baseball? And what can America's oldest baseball field tell us about the civil rights movement?Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama is America's oldest ballpark. It's older than Wrigley Field and Fenway park. But its

Related Books & Audiobooks