The People vs. Ward and June Cleaver.

There is only one reason why a normally clear stretch of highway can suddenly turn
into a traffic jam due to a wreck in the other lane. There is only one reason why sitcoms,
soaps and reality shows have been popular enough to continue or stay in syndication.

There is only one reason why many readers take just a passing glance at the front page
of a newspaper then spend a half-hour pouring over sections containing marriages,
divorces, obituaries, bankruptcies, civil suits and petty crime. Why?

We don't just like 'human interest stories'. We crave them.

Some people pay more attention to certain stories than others. For example, I'm always
the last to know which celebrity is in rehab and which one isn't (although I'd assume that
there are few who haven't been down that road.) Some people thrive on every detail that
comes out of People magazine. I, however, devote very little time to 'keeping up with the
Kardashians.' I don't need to watch Access Hollywood for my material--my favorite topic
of "human interest" is everywhere I look. Hell, it's even in my house--and I can admit it:

"Hi, my name is Matt ("Hi, Matt!!) and I'm a couple-holic."

Couples fascinate me. Whether it's a very public, famous pair like Jackie & JFK or two
quiet farming guys whom I met in a bar three years ago, I am drawn to couples' stories--
not just how they met and who they are, but what makes them click. How and why did
their marriage end? What sustains them today? How do they relate to each other? Why
and how do they fight? Are they happy? Am I waiting to see them on the next episode of
"Snapped"? God, I love that show...

Anyway, couples are an easy target for 'human interest' because everything about them
is so visible--even if they dont intend for it to be. Take body language, for instance. When
Prince Charles and Di were going through their estrangement, photos and videos made it
obvious. Shortly after the humiliating scandal of then-Kentucky governor Paul Patton's
marital infidelity, First Lady Judi Patton was seen without her wedding ring and sitting
as away from her husband as she could get when they were in public. The best evidence of
this can be found at the airport. Don't believe me? The next time you're sitting in the
terminal waiting for someone to arrive, take a look around you. Some couples miss each
other so much that they risk arrest for public indecency when they reunite. Yet, I saw one
couple at the airport who literally started arguing as soon as they saw each other--and it
wasn't playful banter. You know it's bad when the Homeland Security folks start paying
attention.

In addition to body language revealing a couple's status, there's also a lot to be said for
communication. How does a request to pass the mashed potatoes sometimes turn into a
high-pitched altercation? Are couples who speak all "lovey-dovey" to each other really
as happy as they sound/look? Some couples have no qualms about airing their dirty
laundry in public while their friends anxiously await the next bus to anywhere. Some
couples feature an individual known for his/her standoffish, abrupt nature when, behind
closed doors, that person is actually the most considerate and thoughtful of the two.

Having been a 'couple' for over a year now, I can easily see where the interest comes from.
I find myself wondering how other couples handle things now more than ever. Instead of
just being nosy (although I'm still very much Mrs. Kravitz), I tend to watch and ask
questions of couples because I want to see if the way Chuck and I conduct our relationship
is 'normal'. But is any relationship really 'normal'?

--A Housewife who, after 34 years, decides she's meant for more and leaves her marriage.
--The soccer Mom and her little-league coach husband, who despite the image of perfection,
are actually having a 'swingers' relationship with the couple three streets over.
--The husband, whom after 17 years, admits that he's Bisexual and instead of leaving him,
the wife...who stays and learns to enjoy more than one man at a time.
--The couple who spends 65 years together and in the end, spends their deaths together.
--A couple of 27 years, not legally recognized by their government, raising two daughters.
--The pastor who spends his entire marriage preaching about faithfulness and honesty,
while spending half of it being anything but.

'Normal' comes from 1950: the man is the sole income-earner. The woman stays home,
takes care of the house and tends to the kids. Christianity is at the center of the family
because, in 1950 America, that's the only religion. Gay and Lesbian parents do not exist,
because Gays and Lesbians do not exist. There are no Biracial children anywhere because
races can't mix. A spouse takes the abuse of his/her partner quietly--thus, the perfect
picture of 'happy couples ' is allowed to persist. There is no depression. Divorce really isn't
an option--especially if the husband cheats. Look the other way, for God's sake--it's bad
manners not to. Yeah, next time you want 'normal', turn the channel to "Jerry Springer"
or "Maury Povich".

Studies show that you probably already have.

;)