A new hockey romance has entered the chat.
You might recall when every woman you know was spellbound by Heated Rivalry. The Canadian TV show, based on a novel from Rachel Reid’s series of gay hockey romances, became an overnight sensation late last year. (Season two is filming this July, in case you’re thirsty for more.) Five months later, and the internet is once again engrossed by a steamy on-ice series. This time, though, it’s heterosexual.
Off Campus only premiered on Amazon Prime Video on May 13, but it’s already become the third most-watched debut series on the streaming platform, per Variety. Akin to Heated Rivalry, the television show is based on a series of novels by author Elle Kennedy which were published between 2015 and 2021.
The book and show’s premise is one you’ve seen before. A She’s All That meets High School Musical meets One Tree Hill. As in, an artsy girl unimpressed by star athletes gets together with the popular jock who famously doesn’t “do” relationships because he’s too focused on basketball and making his father proud.
In this plot, hockey hunk Garrett Graham and music major Hannah Wells strike a deal: She’ll help him pass his philosophy class and he’ll help her land the musician she’s been crushing on. How do they do this? By fake dating, of course.
You can see where this is going.
Why Your Girlfriend Is Obsessed With This New Gay Hockey Show
“Heated Rivalry” has consumed the lives of every woman on the internet. Experts share what you could learn from it.Their fake relationship inevitably leads to real romance. There are ups and downs. Steamy sex montages and zoomed-in shots of washboard abs. Hockey fights, blood on the ice and locker-room nudity. Viewers are eating it up.
My first introduction to Off Campus was exactly how I discovered Heated Rivalry all those months ago: TikTok edits. But I had lived through the mass psychosis event that was Heated Rivalry. Another hockey romance — especially one with straight people — would pale in comparison. However, the immediate success of Off Campus is proving that we can’t quite quit the genre.
The reason, according to Casey Tanner, a certified sex therapist and sexpert for the brand Lelo, has to do with how the hockey romance genre creates a perfect storm for eroticism.
“The tension between the discipline of the sport and the softness of the relationship, the contrast between masculinity and femininity, the juxtaposition of ice and heat. All of that friction makes for a powerful plot engine that moves the romance forward,” says Tanner.
“The combination of intensely competitive, masculine and athletic men who are emotionally available is extremely powerful and attractive,” adds Dr. Laurie Mintz, a licensed psychologist and certified sex therapist. “It’s raw masculinity without toxicity. It’s tenderness and emotional intelligence in a man without compromising his sex appeal.”
After binge-watching the series myself over the weekend, I understand the appeal. Yes, in part because I have an affinity for the male form, but also, there is an explicit desire among these brutish-looking hockey players to sufficiently pleasure the women they’re bedding. Something that, well, doesn’t often translate to real-life sexual experiences.
In one scene, which has been widely shared on TikTok, our main character Garrett is seeking the advice of his friend and teammate, Dean (who has a reputation for being a ladies’ man), on how to ensure he can make Hannah orgasm. Not only does Dean offer some refreshingly sound advice for a 22-year-old man (trust is key!), but the concept of two young men discussing women’s pleasure wholeheartedly is, frankly, remarkable.
“The reality of the actual dating world for women is that their pleasure and orgasms are not prioritized,” says Mintz, who adds that the “orgasm gap” is still alive and well.
“Women have fewer orgasms, and overall, less pleasure, in sexual encounters than men do. So, seeing a show in which women’s pleasure is cared about is refreshing.”
Off Campus goes beyond penetration, portraying sexual acts that can be more conducive to making a woman orgasm. Not only do the male characters discuss the importance of female pleasure, but they are depicted going down on women, using vibrators during sex and engaging in mutual masturbation.
“There’s no doubt people use the media as a role model for sex,” says Mintz. “Up until now, much media falsely shows women having orgasms from intercourse alone. A show that portrays women’s need for clitoral stimulation and the prioritization of her pleasure could positively affect dating and relationship expectations in real life.”
Turns out you can learn a thing or two from fictional hockey bros.
Now, this doesn’t mean you have to be a hockey player with rippling abs, or that your partner wishes you were a hockey player with rippling abs. Instead, use your partner’s proclivity for romance as a map towards a more impassioned, connected and sexually satisfying relationship.
“Men should resist the urge to dismiss their partner’s interest in shows like Off Campus,” advises Tanner. “The romance genre is often where people go to process what they desire in their intimate lives — being pursued, feeling emotional safety, being chosen.”
“The lesson for men isn’t that they need to become a husky athlete, but to get curious about what their partner loves so much about this kind of content. Romance can help people name what they’re hungry for. And what many people seem hungry for right now is not just sex, but intimacy paired with emotional intelligence.”
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