Spring Break
Role Play
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Phil Wagner
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Elly JohnsonIn a new study, Italian scientists say televisions in the bedroom can severely decrease the frequency of sex between couples.
No easy solution to television dilemma
I don’t need a certified sexologist to report that having a television in the bedroom is not conducive to romance.
Everyone should know the boob tube has always been a source of disagreement between people, especially couples. And we all know that if couples are disagreeing in the bedroom, it’s going to be a lonely night for someone.
Television related arguments immediately start between people vying for the all-powerful remote control. Each partner knows that without the remote they are powerless to their significant other’s inadequate channel surfing speed and volume control.
Whoever doesn’t end up with the clicker then starts in on their partner for the choices they make, like stopping at the Girls Gone Wild infomercial, or in a woman’s case, a Bowflex ad.
But the real confrontation occurs once the program is decided upon. Simply put, today’s TV is too derisive between men and women.
For example, what is the reasoning behind the Lifetime channel? To portray the message that all men are evil and can’t be trusted.
But the man-hating hasn’t stopped there. Network syndicated shows like “The View” and “Dr. Phil” all stress that men need to be more committed to listening to their partner’s feelings. If a women hears this message, the remainder of night the man will be forced to connect emotionally, not physically to their partner.
To be fair, I suppose their are a few “man shows” on TV that objectify women.
The difference between these two is that watching scantally clad girls on trampolines is light-hearted and shouldn’t be taken as offensive.
Mostly though, if a man had his way he would probably want to settle down and watch some sports before he calls it a night. But for some reason, watching athletics on TV is a hot-button issue for some women.
So what can men and women agree to watch late at night? Well, the news if fairly gender neutral, but not exactly exciting.
Also the constant stories about violence and tragedy taking place all over the world doesn’t exactly put someone in the proverbial mood.
But if you already have a TV there and are hoping to get lucky, hide the remote.
You don’t want to end up watching Lifetime, or even worse, sports.
Phil Wagner can be reached at news2@cm-life.com.
Is it really the TV set? Probably not
Can a television in the bedroom really be to blame for a diminishing sex life?
According to Serenella Salomoni, Italian sexologist, that can very well be the case for some couples.
While the study conducted in Italy did pique my interest, it also raised some questions as to the direct correlation of the two.
According to Salomoni, if there is no television in the bedroom, the frequency of sexual intercourse doubles.
My first thought was that the study focused solely on couples having sex in the bedroom.
It seems to me that to have a fulfilling and frequent sex life, there needs to be the element of spontaneity or sex outside of the bedroom.
Although this may not always be an easy thing to attain, I feel that the work spontaneity requires could be an important aspect in improving a couple’s relationship.
This was not my only hesitation with the study.
The team of psychologists involved with the study questioned 523 Italian couples to see how a TV affected their sex life.
Those who did not have a TV reported having sex twice a week or eight times a month, while those with a TV dropped to merely four times a month, according to the study.
My next question deals with outside factors: Is it the TV that makes people not have sex or are there other relationship problems that interfere with their sex life?
It often seems that some relationships and sex lives suffer from working too much, different schedules and exhaustion.
Although I do understand that many people like to channel surf before falling asleep, I wonder just how hard it is to click the “off” button and change up the routine.
Or is it possible that the TV is superior to us? Now that could be a good study.
Elly Johnson can be reached at photo@cm-life.com.
