TV Show Hall of Shame
My DVR has been in overdrive for the fall season. We record anything and everything that looks even slightly interesting and then on lazy days we watch hour after hour of tv to see if anything tickles our fancy. Don’t judge my downtime. Relaxing? Yes. Lame? Shamefully, yes.
Anyway, I realized there are some TERRIBLE shows on television that really do a disservice to marriage and gender roles out there. Understandably, tv should be a form of escape, but old and busted sterotypes seem to be the new hotness this season. Here’s a rundown of some of my must-not watch list that give men, women and marriage a bad name.
1. ‘Til Death: I watched this show a few times last season and it was ok, I guess. But this season? Hello, 1985 called and it wants it comedy back. Brad Garrett plays a whiny husband most interested in eat cheese and partaking in hotel sex, even it if means lying to his wife to get it while she (Joely Fisher) while bemoans her age and entertains her general malcontent nature on a annoying regular basis. Terrible. If this is was marriage was really like, I’d be single.
Marriage: The Only Family You Pick
There’s an old saying: You can’t pick your family. Sure, you can’t pick most of your family but you create your own branch of the tree when you pick a spouse.
I chose the person I want to snuggle close with on a cold night; to laugh with; to cry with; to spend the rest of my life with. I picked the person whom I trust beyond all other. I picked the person who will stand by me no matter what. I picked someone to not only be my best friend but my family as well. I’m proud I got the opportunity to grow a friendship, a romance and a life together with my husband. I’m proud I’ve started a family together with him. It may just be he and I now, someday we might add to it, but there will come a time that it’s just he and I again.
There may be family you can’t pick and you need to love and respect them for who they are, but don’t let anyone tell you can’t pick the most important family you’ll ever have.
What Are the Two Things You Never Discuss?
Religion and politics. Have you heard that old saying? Well, it doesn’t go for marriage. You NEED to talk about them. Today I’ll tackle religion but politics is coming soon, so stay tuned!
I was raised quasi-religious while my husband comes from a Catholic background. He went to a Catholic school, went to church every Sunday, the whole nine. I, on the other hand, went to church with my family for a while but my mother always found a reason to stop going. Fundamentally, Mr. Diva and I are on the same page when it comes to religion, although we have our differences. We should go back to church, but neither of us have been overly enthusiastic about finding a new place of worship in our new city.
3 Ways To Stay Married
Last weekend Mr. Diva and I attended the wedding of a college pal. It’s so fun getting together with our friends we spent so many nights partying studying with. Although I don’t want to go back to my college days (I kind of like being able to buy GOOD beer and eat meals with REAL vegetables), but I do wish we all lived closer. A lot of couples came out of those days and they are just a blast to spend time together.
Like most weddings, there was something unique I had not seen before - a wedding advice/good luck message tree. It was a pretty decorative tree with empty branches. Under the tree were gift tags covered with leaves. Each guest was asked to write a message to the newlyweds. I wish I would have noticed it BEFORE cocktail hour because my advice was limited to “May all your ups and downs be between the sheets”. I thought it was cute when someone gave it to me, but who knows how that went over.
I’m going to use this post as my do over advice. We’ll call it The Three Marriage Diva Rules to Stay Married By. And remember, these rules are a two way street.
1. Treat your spouse better than you treat yourself on your most selfish day. I am not suggesting you ignore your well-being, but I am suggesting you pamper your husband or wife whenever you can. Pick up their favorite dessert, cover their feet if they are sticking out of the covers on a cold night, or rub their shoulders after a long day without being asked. You can make yourself happy by making them happy. Doing nice things for someone should never feel like a chore.
2. Find reasons to compliment your spouse everyday. Don’t lie, of course, but let them know you appreciate them. Even if it’s just to say their butt looks good in a pair of jeans.
3. Trust each other unwaveringly until there’s real reason to mistrust your spouse. Let’s say your spouse goes out with friends and stays out a bit too late. Don’t assume they are up to no good and berate them the moment they come home. Tell them you aren’t happy with the behavior, but don’t go all psycho on them. You know when you have a reason to be suspicious and when you’re acting like a raving lunatic.
Shaq and the Shady Wife
From Wikipedia
Last year, Shaquille O’Neal filed for divorce from his wife of 6 years, Shaunie, stating “The marriage between the parties is irretrievably broken” The Kazaam star b-baller stated his wife was “secretive about her assets.” Um dude, you have a 100 million dollar contract with the Miami Heat - shouldn’t you have an accountant and a team of lawyers taking care of your assets together as a couple? And to Shaunie, did you really feel like you needed to hide those new Jimmy Choos from Shaq? I’m sure he wouldn’t have minded. Of course, it ran deeper than a few trips to Rodeo Drive. The latest on Shaq’s marriage is that the couple is reconciling, Shaunie has stated that like all marriages, the little things added up to one big thing - divorce.
Money can really come into play when a divorce is in full swing. Take the case of Tricia Walsh-Smith, the former wife of Broadway mogul Philip Smith. During their divorce Tricia took to the internet with a series of YouTube video berating her husband’s sexual prows and his family. Her antics didn’t fair well in court and the judge stuck strictly to the terms of the prenup.
Money makes the world go ’round and couples work day in and day out to support each other and their families but when a marriage is reduced to financial bickering it’s time to look a little deeper to find the root of the problem.
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