PACKED to the Rafters is one of the most popular Australian satires going around. Like most of these shows it broaches concepts and issues we often think about but don’t actually acknowledge, not in public anyway. On a recent episode a young married man was increasingly being tempted to engage in a quick affair by a woman who was in a relationship—they worked in the music industry together. He was attracted to her and she was trying to trap him.
At one point, she suggests quite blatantly, words to the effect, ‘Come on, let’s clear the air and get it over and done with.’ He’s left gob-smacked. Like most men in his position he’s entertained the fantasy and he’d just love to... but then he’s got the abhorrent thought in mind of being actively unfaithful to his wife.
It’s an intriguing situation. Almost every man and woman is quite tantalised about this area of human behaviour—the ‘why’s,’ ‘how’s,’ ‘what-for’s’ etc. We find it juicy, fascinating, abhorrent, and disgusting and a range of other emotions pervade us. I mean, I’ve often thought, there’s no shortage of gorgeous people going around, is there? We can certainly understand the carnal reaction, can’t we?
But when push comes to shove there’s a thing or two that sets apart someone ready to act on the sexual impulses the mind gives out—all to the abandonment of rationality and reason, not to mention compassion for the innocent victims. And, not to mention ourselves as we’re caught in a spider’s web of all sorts of nastiness.
Who could stand the eternal regret of having thrown something perfectly good, like a marriage, to the dogs? Many actually. Apparently there’s a real trade in marketing married men to married women as there’s a guaranteed ‘confidentiality clause’ which is intrinsic with the deal. As a married man or woman we’re naturally led to think, ‘Could that be my spouse who’s playing up?’
Forget the reality check—we need a “morality check.”
© S. J. Wickham, 2009.
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