My WhatsApp group chats have always been a source of fabulous filth. I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm a sex columnist with a group of wildly open-minded female friends, many of whom consider oversharing a competitive sport.
We've dissected dates, critiqued bedroom techniques, live-reported questionable texts and sent voice notes that really should come with a content warning. But, when Heated Rivalry landed on our screens, the group chat didn't just heat up. It combusted.
Suddenly my phone was pinging like a faulty fire alarm. These missives were all caps, accompanied by flame emojis. Messages along the lines of 'ARE YOU WATCHING THIS?' followed by frantic instructions to get to episode three immediately. It was unhinged and glorious.
Now, before I launch into why so many straight women are getting ridiculously turned on by a pair of closeted gay hockey players, let me give you the briefest rundown.
Heated Rivalry follows two elite ice hockey players who despise each other on the rink, are forced into constant proximity and then inconveniently fall into an intensely physical, emotionally loaded, very secret relationship.
Think enemies-to-lovers, but with locker rooms, long showers and years of unresolved tension simmering just beneath the surface. It's forbidden. It's fraught. And it is unapologetically horny.
And judging by my WhatsApp group, it has reduced a large portion of the female population to absolute mush.
One of my social media followers messaged me completely unprompted with the kind of honesty that makes you clutch your pearls and nod in recognition.
'I have not stopped watching it and it's even created a bit of a low between my husband and I. It is so, so hot. The yearning. The pace. The subtle glances. Foreplay. My toys have gotten a very good workout recently It's even gotten me into audio erotica. It's like it's awoken a different side of me?'
She was not alone.
I loved watching my straight female friends work themselves into a collective frenzy over two men. But confession - I've been ahead of the curve on this one.
Not long ago, my special man friend and I were lying in bed talking about porn preferences. When I casually mentioned that I enjoy watching two men together, he looked at me like I'd just announced a previously undisclosed identity.
Shocked. Bewildered. And dare I say it, mildly threatened.
I first stumbled across it years ago while innocently perusing my favorite site and curiosity got the better of me. I remember being genuinely surprised by how incredibly hot it was. Not confusing. Not confronting. Just compelling viewing.
So, I'm quietly thrilled that half the female population has now arrived at the same conclusion. And since it's my brilliant job to overthink these things, let's unpack why women are absolutely losing it over this very Not-Safe-For-Work hit.
First, there's the fact that this desire is blissfully baggage-free. Watching two men together removes women from the equation entirely. There's no mental gymnastics about how we're being perceived, whether we're supposed to relate, compare, compete, or endure yet another tired power imbalance.
You know what I'm talking about, 'Man pushes woman up against a wall, they "make love" for thirty seconds and both climax at the same time' nonsense. We get to observe without inserting ourselves. It's pure voyeurism, without pressure.
Then there's the female gaze. For once, men are the spectacle. Their bodies, their longing, their vulnerability, their desire. Women are so rarely offered that perspective that when it arrives, we don't just watch it, we devour it.
Another surprisingly potent turn-on is consent. Heated Rivalry doesn't gloss over hesitation or emotional check-ins. There's plenty of communication before they do the deed. Plus, they include the very real awkwardness that often comes with sex.
There's foreplay that actually feels like foreplay. And while that might sound unsexy, it reads as deeply intimate on screen. For many women, seeing desire paired with care is far more arousing than watching passion bulldoze forward unchecked.
Then there's vulnerability, which is where women truly lose the plot. These men ache. They pine. They spiral. They emotionally unravel for each other. This is not the emotionally unavailable, commitment-phobic male archetype that women complain about on dating apps. This is full-body yearning. And women, it turns out, are absolutely starving for it.
The story line doesn't hurt either. Enemies-to-lovers. Forced proximity. Years of unresolved tension. A relationship that has to stay secret because the world isn't ready for it. It's basically the romance genre's greatest hits.
And yes, we should acknowledge the most obvious explanation of all. Two hot men. I refuse to pretend this isn't part of the appeal. One attractive man can be captivating. Two attractive men, wildly into each other... well you do the math.
There's also something deeply comforting about watching desire unfold without a gendered power imbalance. The threat isn't exploitation or disrespect. The threat is the world outside the relationship. And I have to say that safety changes how women relax into the fantasy.
Because perhaps the most uncomfortable truth Heated Rivalry exposes is this: women aren't turning to gay love stories because they're niche or edgy, but because they're delivering what modern straight dating often doesn't - emotional availability.
These men express their clear desire. They make mutual effort and prioritize each other without treating intimacy like a threat to their autonomy.
Which brings us to the uncomfortable point that seems to be rattling people the most.
If two fictional gay hockey players can show more emotional availability, foreplay and commitment than most men on dating apps, maybe women aren't 'confused' about their desire. Maybe they're just responding to a dating culture that's quietly failing them.
Of course, not everyone loves this conversation. Some argue that straight women don't need to justify queer stories through their own desire, and they're not wrong. But if Heated Rivalry proves anything, it's that when you tell a rich, emotionally honest, deeply sexy story, people will show up. Enthusiastically.
And judging by my WhatsApp group, they'll bring wine, snacks and zero shame with them.