Are offices the new nunneries? This clip from an Alain de Botton talk has me pondering whether they are. Apparently, in 18^th century French literature 98% of sex scenes are set in a nunnery or monastery. By comparison, Alain muses about whether the modern day equivalent of nookie in the house of God is office sex. I think there’s no question that there’s a certain je ne sais quoi to the workplace, as evidenced by the plethora of office porn out there, not to mention seasons upon seasons of primetime fueled by co-worker sexual tension—Grey’s Anatomy, The Good Wife, CSI… But I must say I’m unclear, is office sex really all that taboo anymore? I certainly know plenty of folks whose romance blossomed over the water cooler. Perhaps it depends on whether we’re talking about relationships that start in the workplace or sneaking a nooner in the boardroom. Or, if you work at American Apparel, the occasional alleged fellatio request from your boss in his skivvies.

By the by, it’s pretty interesting how open they are on Grey’s about quickies in the on call room. Is this how hospitals really work or is this a figment of our collective sexual fantasy? Second only, of course,  to MILFs and slutty teens. Maybe de Botton is onto something after all?

My workplace, in case you were wondering, could not be any less erotic despite–or maybe because of–the fact I work in my boss’ house and he is often found roaming about in a natty bathrobe and slippers and our repartee is less coquette, more irritated sibling. Alas, until the day we all have computer chips in our brains, office sex scandals probably aren’t going anywhere. At least not as long as Dov Charney stays in town…