Explain It to Me Sexy TV is back
Jan 18, 2026
Join Emma Glassman-Hughes, a cultural critic at PopSugar, who explores the magnetic pull of the series Heated Rivalry and its powerful themes of yearning. Michelle Ganim, an author who analyzes intimacy on screen, reveals how sexual content has evolved on television, showcasing the joy and escape it offers viewers. Chayla Hunter, a professional intimacy coordinator, sheds light on her crucial role in crafting consensual scenes and discusses the meticulous process behind the show's memorable sex sequences.
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Yearning As A Powerful Emotional Hook
- Heated Rivalry taps into universal yearning by dramatizing crushes as bodily, all-consuming experiences.
- Emma Glassman-Hughes says that yearning provides grounding, joy, and a needed escape from distressing news cycles.
Nostalgia Fuels Obsession
- The show channels a nostalgic, adolescent intensity of crushes that people miss in adulthood.
- Emma Glassman-Hughes connects that all-consuming feeling to simpler, more vivid emotional experiences from youth.
Vulnerable Masculinity Attracts Viewers
- Many queer female viewers are drawn to the show because it depicts vulnerable, nontraditional masculinity.
- Emma Glassman-Hughes says that vulnerable depictions of men are rare and magnetic for her audience.
