So I thought I would update you on the situation. Almost a year later, what's bringing people to my blog these days? Well, the answer is not shirtless, or naked...it's (wait for it)...

Erin Esurance.

Yes, these days about 40% of my visitors come looking to read about the pink-haired animated heroine of those insurance TV commercials. They are searching for erin esurance nude, nude esurance, erin esurance sex, hot erin esurance, erin esurance fan art, erin esurance wallpaper, etc. I swear it's true.

Interestingly, no one is googling "erin esurance shirtless" (or even topless). Why do you suppose that is? Well, obviously the googlers, nearly all male, would just as soon see the entire package. Which is interesting, considering Erin is, after all, a cartoon.

I could take the low road here and talk about how sad it is that men have such peculiar standards concerning female sex appeal that they seek it in a Barbie-doll-proportioned cartoon chick, but that wouldn't really be fair. After all, I was intrigued enough with Erin Esurance to blog about her! I think she's pretty hot too. But the fact that she is bringing this ton of traffic to my blog is totally messing with my ongoing assessment of shirtless vs. naked.

In fact, it raises an entirely new and interesting issue about erotica. The human mind and its fetishes are truly amazing. It makes perfect sense from a biological standpoint that we are aroused by attractive members of our species that are partially or fully nude. However, just how far removed from nudity and even real human anatomy can you get and still turn people on?

The fascinating thing about the Erin Esurance phenomenon is that these are commercials for network prime time TV, and they are animated (i.e., attract the eyes of kids), and therefore the producers correctly determined they need to keep Erin wholesome. Sure, her outfits tend to be skin tight, but the most overly revealing moments are when you see her bare midriff or chastely glimpse her in the shower. The "sexiest" moments are when she gazes lovingly into the eyes of her boyfriend Erik. Jessica Rabbit could really give Erin seduction lessons.

And yet, the internet buzzes with people confessing their obsession with her, writing fan fiction, drawing her naked or trying to find drawings of her naked.

So what is the explanation? Is it her adventurous persona? Her sexy voice? The exotic pink hair? Her exaggerated hourglass shape? Why are guys turned on by a cartoon when they could be downloading photos of Keira Knightly, Natalie Portman, and other human females? Clearly there are more mysteries to this phenomenon than revelations. I pride myself on being able to fabricate answers to any question related to the erotic (LOL), but this time I confess I'm stumped.

I am not without conclusions on the issue though. For one thing, in a way this is good news for us erotic romance writers. It shows that we humans are infinite in our diversity when it comes to what arouses us. If it can be a commercial, a voice, a hair color...well, it can be almost anything. The whole thing makes me glad I went the route of writing short erotic stories in every possible genre; it ups the chance that in any one anthology, there will be at least one story that works well for the individual reader. And clearly there's always more to explore and contrive when it comes to creating fiction that turns people on.

I will continue to monitor this tracking, however. Shirtless persists in having the edge over naked, just as Les Stroud, Kate and Sawyer, and Cody Willard continue to hold their leads over Erin Esurance. But she has leapfrogged over Sean Maher, Peter Petrelli and Hugh Jackman, and is closing the gap rapidly even with Les, so I felt it was time to give credit where it's due. Strange as the fact is.

And I'm really wondering what new trends in online sex obsessions will crop up in 2008, aren't you?

Diana Laurence is the author of the Soulful Sex anthologies of erotic romance fiction, and released her newest book Bloodchained in September (www.bloodchained.com). Diana's works are published by Living Beyond Reality Press (www.livingbeyondreality.com.)
Visit her at www.dianalaurence.com or enjoy her blog at www.eroticawithsoul.blogspot.com.