I watched this yesterday; I usually check in on Slate every other day or so and always make it a point to read her column. I wanted to think it was fake, but it's just too awful to be made-up. Did Paralyzed really think anyone would be sympathetic? It seemed like her attitude was one of "Well, I can't help my sister, and she's got this husband just sitting around going to waste..it's not like she's able to make him happy or give him the marriage he deserves..I'll just take him off her hands." Yeah, you're a sorry excuse for a human, and I hope that your sister not only gets well, but that she completely severs whatever ties she has to either one of you. As far as I can see, Paralyzed and her BIL truly deserve eachother. I thought Prudence was rather lenient. Or maybe I was imagining my own response, which would involve punching and/or stabbing. Possibly both.
Does anyone remember the old Dear Prudence? She gave terrible, glib advice and then signed off her letters with adverbs that were in no way actually functioning as valedictions, such as "Grimly, Prudence" or "Squeamishly, Prudence." Awful stuff.
I heart Emily Yoffe's Human Guinea Pig column, but I'm not wild about Dear Prudence. Guess I just can't get rid of the bad smell of old Dear Prudence. And I just prefer reading to video.
@sunnyciegos: She's now writing as "Dear Margo" for Yahoo. Still signs off the same way. I think she's Margo Howard, daughter of Ann Landers. Apparently she and the original Dear Abby's daughter have gotten into a feud of sorts, especially with Dear Abby's daughter now writing Dear Abby.
@Charity Froggenhall: Seriously. My BIL could be Clive Owen and I'd still find a way to keep my pants on. Especially if my sister was in trouble-how is that an aphrodisiac, again?
@Charity Froggenhall: Yeah, wth? Does she live in a parallel universe in which when you get together to discuss people you love your genitals get somehow entangled together?
Shit, I'd be depressed if I lived in that universe too!
My boyf's brothers are hot but omigod I can't imagine EVER going there with any of them. This woman is delusional and I love that she got a snarky response.
@SarahMC: Seriously, Mr. Crabby comes from some good-looking stock, but I simply cannot look at any of his 3 brothers that way. It just seems incestuous.
I'm very confused ... I can't figure out how to see the video. Is something wrong with my computer? I don't see a video to play anywhere on the Slate link ...
Read her column from last Thursday, too. The first question was a real jaw-dropper.
It's funny, I like Emily's advice on serious questions much better than I do her advice on more trivial ones. Occasionally she's shown an astonishing lack of sense when dealing with, say, "I have a co-worker who doesn't wear a bra" or some such, but when the heavy snows fall, she can usually handle it.
@CrossWord: Even WITH her fully-informed consent, I don't think I'd be cool with it. I cannot imagine a universe wherein my sister's ex-partner was fair game. Some people are just excluded from the potential mating pool -- priests, your therapist, your sister's ex-husband. I don't care how hot Father What-A-Waste is, you just don't DO that. Nor do you DO your sister's ex-long-term-partner.
I've never understood how someone could "hook up" (as kids are saying these days) with someone that had been with their sibling- just seems creepy to me. However, obv not the point of this post. Carry on.
@Beets.Go.On: There are several outtakes on the cutting room floor of her stomping around the sound-stage shouting, "Are you OUT OF YOUR FREAKING MIND? If you were MY sister, I'd SHOOT YOU!! JESUS EFFING CHRIST!! Okay, cut! Cut! Lemme start over."
Actually, I think Prudie leaves the door open a little bit before the final piece of advice. She says that the guy should end his marriage honorably. I was waiting for the "and then..."
Tough stuff all around. Clinically depressed sister needs some serious treatment, and while marriage is for better or worse, that commercial that says "who does depression hurt? everyone." is completely true. I'm sorry, while I'm not urging the author and the husband to continue their affair (bad stuff), I'm not eager to say this guy has to be miserable for the rest of his life. The depressed woman has an obligation to try to get better. And depressed people typically aren't good at hearing that.
I wouldn't want to be the last car on that emotional rollercoaster either, if there were no hope of improvement in the future.
@kungfutoday: It is quite possible that there is nothing that can fix the sister. Medication is great, but there is a small subset of people for whom nothing works and who may need to be hospitalized.
Maybe that isn't the wife's situation, but I don't think you can say she has an obligation to try to get better.
@clevernamehere: Ah, but the operative word was "try". And she does have an obligation to try. Even if she fails to get better, she does owe him (as much as it's almost impossible for her to do) to seek out (or just attend if it's sought out for her) help. She has to eke out the best effort she can.
I understand that some people will never get better. I think it's the trying that is necessary. At its core, depression makes a person behave in selfish ways (not their fault, just the disease's effect), and it brings the rest of the family down with it. I think he has to be there for her, but I don't think he has to be married to her to do that if she's irretrievably gone. (Remember that awful movie "What Dreams May Come"?)
Of course, you have to put in a LOT of time and effort before you can decide that you can't stay in that situation day to day. But if there's no light at the end of the tunnel, he'd have to put her in a care facility or find some distance so that he, too, doesn't go down the dark tunnel.
@clevernamehere: Speaking as someone who has been the partner to a clinically depressed person for the last five years, she does have an obligation to try. It would be like telling a person with diabetes that they have no obligation to take their insulin and stick to their diet, because after all, they cannot help that they have diabetes. Depression is incredibly difficult to treat/cure but that does not mean that clinically depressed people cannot exercise agency over certain aspects of their mental health. I am wary of disempowering people entirely in the face of mental illness.
@kungfutoday: Let me just say, it is incredibly hard to know where to draw that line. This guy sounds like a jerk, though.
@kungfutoday: Actually, we are both doing great right now, which is due to a combination of cognitive therapy, medication, other lifestyle changes, and a lot of support from myself and friends. Thanks for the kind words.
It's interesting because I just had a conversation with my boyfriend the other day about taking control over those aspects of his life that he can have control over. For example, he does not have control over the neurochemical imbalance in his brain; he does, however, have control over taking his medication regularly, according to doctor's orders. Not taking his medication (which he has done nefore) has a major effect on him. We both believe it is his obligation to do so reglarly and in good faith.
All in all, our situation is fundamentally different than the one in Yoffe's column, though, because both the sister and husband are being selfish and morally reprehensible people. Even if the husband had reached his "breaking point," an extra-marital affair is not ok. I always say if you want out of a relationship, fine, but get out before you start seeing someone else.
12/23/08
12/23/08
I heart Emily Yoffe's Human Guinea Pig column, but I'm not wild about Dear Prudence. Guess I just can't get rid of the bad smell of old Dear Prudence. And I just prefer reading to video.
12/23/08
12/22/08
12/22/08
12/22/08
Shit, I'd be depressed if I lived in that universe too!
12/22/08
12/22/08
12/22/08
12/22/08
Does that work for you? (It's not a rickroll, I swear)
12/22/08
It's funny, I like Emily's advice on serious questions much better than I do her advice on more trivial ones. Occasionally she's shown an astonishing lack of sense when dealing with, say, "I have a co-worker who doesn't wear a bra" or some such, but when the heavy snows fall, she can usually handle it.
12/23/08
12/22/08
(sing that to the tune of it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas)
12/22/08
Tough noogies.
Depressed or not, it just isn't done. Not without her fully-informed consent.
12/22/08
12/22/08
12/22/08
12/22/08
12/22/08
12/22/08
Oh yes, the next Christmas will be spectacular. Mom can just rearrange the seating cards!
Also, bonding over your sister's mental health problems are the way lasting relationship are built, dontchaknow?!
12/22/08
12/22/08
Tough stuff all around. Clinically depressed sister needs some serious treatment, and while marriage is for better or worse, that commercial that says "who does depression hurt? everyone." is completely true. I'm sorry, while I'm not urging the author and the husband to continue their affair (bad stuff), I'm not eager to say this guy has to be miserable for the rest of his life. The depressed woman has an obligation to try to get better. And depressed people typically aren't good at hearing that.
I wouldn't want to be the last car on that emotional rollercoaster either, if there were no hope of improvement in the future.
12/22/08
Maybe that isn't the wife's situation, but I don't think you can say she has an obligation to try to get better.
12/22/08
I understand that some people will never get better. I think it's the trying that is necessary. At its core, depression makes a person behave in selfish ways (not their fault, just the disease's effect), and it brings the rest of the family down with it. I think he has to be there for her, but I don't think he has to be married to her to do that if she's irretrievably gone. (Remember that awful movie "What Dreams May Come"?)
Of course, you have to put in a LOT of time and effort before you can decide that you can't stay in that situation day to day. But if there's no light at the end of the tunnel, he'd have to put her in a care facility or find some distance so that he, too, doesn't go down the dark tunnel.
12/22/08
Honestly, I'm kind of disgusted by this rant on how she should try to get better in a post about woman whose sister and husband are getting it on.
Her mental illness is a red herring. It doesn't justify cheating. He could have left, she obviously has family around.
12/22/08
@kungfutoday: Let me just say, it is incredibly hard to know where to draw that line. This guy sounds like a jerk, though.
12/22/08
Best of luck in dealing with your partner. I hope that you both get all the help you need.
12/23/08
It's interesting because I just had a conversation with my boyfriend the other day about taking control over those aspects of his life that he can have control over. For example, he does not have control over the neurochemical imbalance in his brain; he does, however, have control over taking his medication regularly, according to doctor's orders. Not taking his medication (which he has done nefore) has a major effect on him. We both believe it is his obligation to do so reglarly and in good faith.
All in all, our situation is fundamentally different than the one in Yoffe's column, though, because both the sister and husband are being selfish and morally reprehensible people. Even if the husband had reached his "breaking point," an extra-marital affair is not ok. I always say if you want out of a relationship, fine, but get out before you start seeing someone else.
12/22/08
If sis gets better, she's prolly gonna want blood.
Just sayin.'
12/22/08
12/22/08
when I was washing the blood off my hands,
I EVEN KNEW THEY WERE DEAD.
12/22/08
I love you.
12/22/08
12/22/08
12/23/08