the thing about crushes

Happy Monday! I spent the weekend at Sticks Country Music Festival in Auburn. You can get a recap of all the action with my Ledger coverage here, and Twitter posts from my co-worker Dawn here.

I'll try to write about my celebrity encounters a little later, but right now I want to get your thoughts on something I started thinking about at the concert.

It was an incredibly attractive lineup of performers. As I walked through the crowd, I repeatedly heard guys eye the stage and tell their girfriends, "Wow. She is SO hot." Likewise, women would ogle Trace Adkins and -- in their boyfriends' company -- say, "I'd totally hook up with him."

It's OK to admit these crushes to our partners because they seem unreachable. Celebrities exist in a separate realm, a place where the objects of our affection have no bearing on our real-life relationships.

Or do they?

When stressed too frequently, celebrity crushes can make a sensitive partner feel inadequate. They can also suggest a potential for infidelity.

Then again, if you're attached, it's probably better to vocalize your lust for Trace Adkins than, say, the hot co-worker you see every day.

In relationships, do you reveal your celebrity crushes?