There’s a pretty good high-end sushi joint in my neighborhood where I’ll occasionally eat. One thing you notice upon entering the restaurant is that all the waitresses are phenomenally hot. It’s obvious that whoever does the hiring for the restaurant weeds out the ugglos. As a result, eating sushi there is almost a tidal wave of sexual temptation. Occasionally I’ll try to charm some of them with a witty comment like, “I’ve got some unagi (raw eel) for you — the unagi in my pants!” So far I haven’t gotten a very warm reception, but I’m going to keep trying.

Thinking about that restaurant and its aesthetic employees makes me contemplate how much sex and sexual attraction plays a part in modern society, even when it’s not acknowledged. That sushi restaurant would never run ads saying, “we’ve got the hottest waitresses in town,” but obviously that’s exactly what they’re hoping you will think, and hoping the fact drives customers to return. As a result, those waitresses are not being hired purely for the skill, but for their appearance. Now this probably doesn’t sound like that profound a point; I’m arguing that it is profound but it’s also just so commonplace we don’t even take notice. These notions of arousal and sexual intrigue are interwoven into the process of buying food. And part of what the restaurant is selling is not raw fish, but the one in 1 million chance that you will actually achieve some form of sexual congress with these waitresses.

Of course, your chances will drop to significantly less than one in 1 million if you employ classy come ons such is my unagi line above.