In 1958's "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," Elizabeth Taylor authored her infamy. When people refer to her younger years, she's still shown wearing the white chiffon dress that gushed around her during the coin scenes.
We inevitably see her with her head cocked and one black brow arched, fondling the charm at her collarbone with a lazy wrist, lips plump and faintly parted, her neckline scooped so low that it abandons the camera frame. In those moments, Liz coerced an entire generation to adore her. And they still do. Doesn't it make you wonder? It made me -- enough to warrant a meticulous assessment of the history and art of seduction.
It's not the red lipstick or the bedroom eyes. It's a strategically employed dimple here, an occasional Southern twang there. Seduction is an art in the truest sense of the word. It entails the ability to -- with nothing beyond a good grasp of the workings of the human mind and body -- deliberately create an ambience that exactly meets the deepest desires of your target.
Sounds kind of sinister. Actually, the word itself is derived from the Latin seducere, "to lead aside." It denotes the illicit, even the criminal -- a deviation from the right path. Being led on by a lie. But, even in the prudish 1950s, people pinned Liz up on their walls. And not because they thought she was creepy.
Nowadays, and (to a certain degree) back then, our culture has evolved past the non-threatening archetype of the strictly male seducer -- whether it be good old Casanova, one of the four members of the Rat Pack or any member of every firemen's squad in America.
No longer are only men seducing women. Women (who are seducing women) are seducing men (who are seducing men). We've gotten cozier with the concept of female power, and as such, a woman seducing a man has shifted from being perceived as a moral transgression to being cause for celebration. Even if at first the party only took place on the inside door of a locker.
The emphasis is no longer put on the deviance, the "leading aside" that seduction may entail, but on the thrilling charm that causes it. Because of our comparative gain in moral and material freedom, we've grown optimistic enough to hope that what you see is what you get, and roll with the punches if it isn't.
And so -- though you very rarely will know you're being seduced while you actually are -- once you do realize it you'll hardly brandish your pitchfork and lighter fluid to call up a witch-hunt. As long as the object is love, not another notch in the bedpost, that three-carat Tiffany solitaire or a Green Card, the seducer would more likely be praised for playing the game well, while the seducee would have a perfect right to feel flattered.
Seduction is revered in our culture because it implies limitless power over another human being. A power that, no less, can possibly be learned -- acquired at will. Dangerous but fun. Fun because it's dangerous.
So, if you don't turn to the Dark Side, chances are that seducing someone will further your chances of leading a happy life that follows your own design. And, if nothing else, some part of you may become a permanent fixture in another's mind. Even if it's just your favorite dress.
Katja Schubl is a Cavalier Daily sex columnist. She can be reached at katja@cavalierdaily.com.
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