Picture the scene: an intimate little salsa venue. I’m enjoying a hot salsa, the lovely starlit night and my deeply lovely dance partner even more. There are two other couples occupying the slow dances and all is right with this world.My partner and I are deep in a discussion about the finer points of French grammar in IM and maybe one of the other couples is doing the same. We are unobtrusive company. Which allows the following exchange to stand out spectacularly in chat:
Woman: Oh I LOVE to dance with you.
Man: Mmm baby…you’re looking so good too…
Woman: Really?
Man: Mmm
Woman: You really like my shape?
Man: Sure … (does he sense the trap yet?)
Woman: I mean it’s a new one…you like it better than my old one?
Man: Uh…It’s a new skin? (can you hear the hopeful note in his voice, readers?)
Woman: No it’s not a new skin! I just changed my shape. It’s a little more …curvy than the last one.
Man: Mmmm
Woman: But I have new hair and you haven’t mentioned that
Man: Baby. I said you were looking good
Woman: Yes but to you I just look the same. You haven’t even noticed…
Now, forgive me but is my logic flawed here? In SL, if we go for human skins at all, we have bodies that most producers of high-grade porn would rate. It’s a rare avatar who adds a couple of kilos around the midriff, butt or thighs, just to add verisimilitude. But here is a woman who is bringing some RL hang-ups into SL when she soooo doesn’t have to. And I feel for her dance partner. He’s logged on for some escapism…a romantic date with a hot babe and here he is embroiled in a conversation usually kept for the months (and years) AFTER the honeymoon period is over.
I toy briefly with the idea that the “she” is in fact an RL “he”, engaged in some serious role play…really delving into the female psyche. A male friend corrects me. No man would be that sadistic, he assures me. With feeling.
