OK, I’m confused.
I tuned in to Oprah this afternoon for Part II of the whole “Why Do Men Cheat?” situation and to my surprise, there was a segment about the use of lie detectors.
I’m not (totally) ashamed to admit that I once had a really intense addiction to Maury’s daily schtick – “…and the lie detector says that you tried to have sex with our sexy decoy” or my personal favorite, “You are the father of 4-year-old Tyrone!” – but on Oprah? The real kicker for me came at the half-hour mark when her guest, marriage counselor and author of The Truth About Cheating, M. Gary Neuman, tells you how to find your local lie detector center. I’m sorry…what?
While I certainly give much respect to those folks who are down to save their relationships and marriages, I would sooner pack my bags than subject myself to dragging my man downtown for a lie detector test. I’m not snooping through American Express and Verizon Wireless bills either. But sadly, what I took away from the today’s show is that the woman still gets blamed when her husband cheats. Damn.
Although I’ve not taken the walk down the aisle, yet, I think I have to agree with the married-for-10-years audience member who blasted Oprah with, “You’re being too nice and making too many excuses [for the men]. It’s not about women not giving them something. You have to respect one another…you can’t always give each other exactly what you need in a marriage, but it doesn’t make it OK to go toward another woman.”
Oh, and here are three of Neuman’s tips to “affair-proof” your marriage:
– appreciate your spouse more
– have more frequent sex
– don’t hang out with cheaters
Is it really that simple? And if so, why would Lady O be doing a two-parter?