This is a guest blog submitted by sleepyhead.Even adults need to get their groove on and get excited from time to time. Recently, at a restaurant I frequent, I saw a couple in their 50s come out of the men's bathroom together. They both had
that smirk, which explained it all.
I made two decisions that night: one, not to use the bathroom the rest of the evening, and two, that these people had to be having an affair.
Why else would they be in the bathroom of a restaurant? They'd had a lot to drink - there were two wine bottles on the table - and had been acting sneakily all night. I wondered why I automatically assumed they were having an affair when they could have easily been a married couple having a good time. The more I thought about it, the clearer it became: TV.
Sitcoms reinforce the idea that when married couples get older, they don't like to be around each other anymore. The wife starts nagging, the husband wants to avoid her as much as possible and we get the impression that married life is spent bickering one day after another. That wasn't exactly what I saw from the couple who came out of the bathroom grinning and giggly.
When we see people having affairs on TV, they're usually sitting in the corner of a restaurant - or, hey, hiding in the bathroom - to make sure no one else can see them. They are constantly touching each other as if they hadn't seen each other in a long time and are very affectionate. This couple fit the description.
I eventually found out that the couple was indeed married. They came back to the restaurant another day (this time with family) and seemed to be very happy and normal together. If television hadn't played in such a role in shaping what I thought, this situation would never have come up. I would have assumed they were just a happily married couple trying to spice things up.
How much do TV shows play a role in shaping what you think about others' or your own relationships? Do you have a favorite TV couple?
Recommend
Comments (11)
Ahaha. When i get old and I'm married i still want to be frisky in public and showing PDA. Aha.
Xo
you have a point. I mean I can say TV influence's a lot of people. My friends all think that a foster kid is a trouble maker and that it's always their fault they're in care and then they find out I'm in care. So they kind of judge things off of what they see and not realize that the television is used for entertainment purposes more then an acurate account of life.
I really would say that I think T.V. plays a big role in shaping my ideas on a relationship. Most of the things that happen on T.V. happen in real life, especially when it comes to relationships. Most of the time writers get ideas from life experiences so why wouldn't it.
I also think that T.V. can help you with a relationship. You know what they say;
"Learn from other peoples mistakes because you won't have time to make all of them yourself."
Maybe they were just doing something to spice up their love lives...you know, the cliché public sex thing.
Oh ye, that'd get me rolling! XD
Husband: sooo... wanna go have sex in public?
Me: ..... o_O what the hell for?
Husband: beeeecause it'd be fun?
Me: .....
Me: ..... HELLSYES.
I bet it was something like that.
none and no
TV is just entertainment, information, and others things BUT certainly not the way I should look upon relationships. It might give you a way to think about certain aspects of relationships, but as far as me, I don't think I really pay attention to it much.
I think that it is the cutest thing ever to see an older couple that is not only together, but happily together and doing things that people would consider out of the ordinary for their age group. It seems almost impossible to find a couple that is together and happily married..because today divorce is an easy option that many marriages end up in. Im not much of a television person, but i watch movies whenever I have time in my hands. The one couple that stands out in my mind, is the couple from The Notebook. Although i am not as much into chick flicks as my sister is, when i see a movie that touches my heart , I have a hard time forgetting it. This movie in particular because I cant forget how dedicated and loyal the couple in it were to eachother.
I have to admit I have thought the same thing about a couple before. Except with a situation walking to my car and finding that in the car next to mine there were two people..hmm how shall I say...going at it. [There was a car on either side of mine, I assumed that the other car was the man or womans.] And there were plenty of empty spots not next to any cars, so who knows why they parked next to another car.
I know that I think that just because it makes it more interesting. I don't know why I think that's interesting because I would frown upon cheating on your significant other.
Although I can see how TV could play a roll in my thoughts on that though.
I definitely agree that television, and the media in general, over-influence a lot of peoples opinions in regard to relationships. Of course, I think it's okay to let them have some influence as long as we acknowledge it for what it is: not realistic.
I mean, as long as people understand that what they see or hear isn't 100% reality or an example of what to live by they can use "bits and pieces" to at least gain some insight or understanding to an experience they may have. As long as they don't base all their decisions/judgments by what they saw on TV it's not so bad but telling your husband he's cheating on you because he did something that an actor did last night on the show of the season right before he cheated on his girlfriend... That logic is just plain crazy.
In middle school my favorite show was Roswell and I just longed to meet a dark, mysterious half alien who had cool powers and saved my life, forever connecting our souls. haha.
No, not really. I just thought Jason Behr was hot. I'd take him (half alien or not) any day.
But I think TV affects younger people more. And then as we grow older and more mature, and as we gain more experience, we realize that TV is fake and we can't base our own lives off of it.
my whole idea of cheating and horrible relationships took form at an early age from my family. my grandma had been married to times. first marriage was cheated on, the second...well, lets not go there. both involved the FBI and a divorce. my uncle cheated on his wife and she cheated on him and they both had a divorce that never seemed to end. in my dad's first marriage, he was cheated on, frequently and blatantly by his wife. then, in my first micky mouse relationship at 15, was cheated on.
so this has formed the idea in my head of..."well, why wouldn't they? what's stopping them? pretty much nothing." it makes me upset knowing i think this way, especially since i'm going out with a really great guy now, and im pretty sure he wouldn't, but i can't help but think it in the back of my mind. my previous boyfriend, i bombarded the hell out of in the beginning of our relationship about it, i was so ridiculously insecure about it. ...so no, tv has not effected me, though my family and experiences has.
That old couple is my ideal relationship in a nutshell - walking tipsy and snickering out of a public restroom.
that is why I have not turned on the t.v. since I was in grade school...specifically since Full House