Romance rules, in case you had any doubt

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Romance rules, in case you had any doubt

January 21, 2008

Think romance is out of fashion?

Not so, according to the Jan. 28 edition of Time magazine time.com, its annual mind and body special issue. The cover story is: “The Science of Romance: Why we need love to survive.”

Here’s an excerpt: “As far as your genes are concerned, your principal job while you're alive is to conceive offspring, bring them to adulthood and then obligingly die so you don't consume resources better spent on the young. Anything that encourages you to breed now and breed plenty gets that job done.

“But mating and the rituals surrounding it make us come unhinged in other ways too, ones that are harder to explain by the mere babymaking imperative. There’s the transcendent sense of tenderness you feel toward a person who sparks your interest. There’s the sublime feeling of relief and reward when that interest is returned. There are the flowers you buy and the poetry you write and the impulsive trip you make to the other side of the world just so you can spend 48 hours in the presence of a lover who’s far away. That’s an awful lot of busywork just to get a sperm to meet an egg – if merely getting a sperm to meet an egg is really all that it's about.

“Human beings make a terrible fuss about a lot of things but none more than romance.”

Red flowers outside

Well, long live romance, I say. And long live writing poetry and buying flowers. Oh, and eating chocolate, too. I’m sure that’s meant to be in there. It’s a fascinating piece and the issue has 13 related stories, such as: “Why We Flirt,” “Crazy Love,” “Love Letters,” and “Star Pairs," a list of long-lasting celeb romances (yes there is such a thing). On the list are:

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton
Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall
Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward
Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy
Nancy and Ronald Reagan
Bonnie and Clyde
Wallis Simpson and Edward VIII
Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera
Elton John and David Funish
John Lennon and Yoko Ono
Hillary and Bill Clinton
Dana and Christopher Reeves
Jada Pinkett and Will Smith

The photo of Bogie and Bacall is, presumably, on their wedding day, as she is holding a simple but gorgeous bouquet of flowers – it’s my favorite shot, natch.

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