Does Dismal MLA Job Market Add to Hook-Up Demand?

This year's annual meeting of the Modern Language Association has featured much chatter about how the terrible job market has changed things. Attendance is down; those on the market seem more stressed than ever (not that they ever didn't seem stressed). Several have asked about whether there is new research, following on last year's panel on MLA sex. on the impact of the economy on conference encounters. We didn't see any such research but a review of Craigslist personals suggests that some academics did have hopes for connections outside of the sessions and cash bars. Only when the MLA is in town will you find listings such as "Hot English dork here, looking to play with another hot English dork." And we guess that most of the time, Craigslist hook-up personals (seeking kink no less) aren't illustrated by the cover of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers.