Episode 4: Challengers (2024)
How do people compete to win someone’s affections? What are the less obvious reasons that people have sex? How do relationships and power intersect? Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers provides ample opportunity for Paul and Eli to examine these and other sexy topics.
Subscribe at Apple, Spotify. or Episodes.fm
Hosted, produced, and edited by Paul Eastwick and Eli Finkel.
Intro
0:55: (Eli) Who are the characters and couples?
2:45: (Paul) 1-minute plot recap
4:10: What is our relationship to this movie?
What the movie gets right
7:10: (Eli) Power and relationships
Low-power partners prioritize and catch their partner’s goals study by Dr. Laurin
High-power people seek out partners who will help them with their goals study by Dr. Gruenfeld
10:30: (Paul) Ambition and power are appealing to men and women
15:10: (Eli) Sexual pursuit of partners you’re not really “into”
Monogamous folks commonly have threesome fantasies study by Dr. Lehmiller
Avoidantly attachment people are interested in sex for power and status study by Dr. Schachner
17:45: (Paul) Intrasexual sexual competition vs. intersexual choice
Men and women derogating competitors study by Dr. Fisher
20:40: (Paul) Relationships have long arcs
Sex with exes study by Dr. Halpern-Meekin
Being irritated by, and attracted to, your ex study by Dr. Schneider
22:30: (Eli) Being unsupportive predicts breakup
Misconceptions in the movie
24:00: (Paul) The dad vs. cad distinction is not bipolar
Interest in short-term and long-term relationships are two different things study by Dr. Jackson
Attractiveness is irrelevant to infidelity study by Dr. Rhodes (Table 3)
29:40: (Eli) Are there people who are *this* uninterested in loving and being loved?
“Are we ok with this?”
32:30: (Paul) “Please don’t judge these characters too harshly” – Zendaya
33:50: (Eli) Is it ok to push your partner, even if it seems cruel?
How to fix the person you love op-ed by Eli
Relationship Quotes!
38:00: (Paul) Tashi on how tennis is a relationship
40:50: (Eli) Patrick on how his agreement with Art was a “lifetime ago”
What do we wish we knew?
42:10: (Paul) What is it like to be a homewrecker?
44:30: (Eli) How do people navigate friend and romantic relationships simultaneously?
People have different attachment styles with different partners study by Dr. Moors
Stars (1–5): Both hosts rate the quality of the movie
Rusbults (1–5): Both hosts rate the accuracy of the movie’s ideas about relationships
Music by Andrew Fraker and Sons
Artwork by Katie Keil