Pat Robertson has been known to utter some wackadoodle nonsense from time to time. (Also all the time.) But did he really just say that women owe their husbands sex for doing the dishes? Where do we even get started? First of all, husbands should be doing the dishes without expecting a reward. Secondly, this exchange of sex for chores smacks a little too much of the oldest profession, if you know what I mean. Not to mention, love-making should not be a transaction. And don't even get me started on how sexist the whole premise is. But before I get too worked up, maybe we should hear his entire comment in context.
Here's what happened. On his call-in show 700 Club, Pat responded to a woman who complained that her husband thought he should be thanked every damn time he did anything around the house. This is a couple who both worked outside the home and are both now retired, so she feels like he should just consider household chores doing his share.
Robertson sided with the husband -- naturally. But in a kind of sweet way. He said that a man wants to provide for his family, "And when he cleans up, it’s saying, 'I love you.'" The wife should respond by saying she loves him, too. It comes down to what kind of relationship the couple wants to have: A business partnership, or a "loving, warm, sensuous, exciting marriage." Laying on the sugar for something your man should be doing anyway gets you the latter.
Okay, I'm actually with Robertson at that point. I get it -- and I think that can go both ways. Husbands should thank their wives for doing chores at home, too. But then this idea took a turn for the cringe-worthy with his follow-up.
He’s saying, I love you! Each dish, he’s saying, ‘Terry, I love you.’ If you understood that, you say, ‘Darling, I’ve got a treat for you ... wait until we get behind closed doors, and you see the treat I have for you.’
Um. That sounds like an exchange of chores for sexual favors. And hey, if you want a warm, passionate marriage, that sounds like a recipe for a hot marriage -- SO LONG AS IT GOES BOTH WAYS.
I'd like a "treat" for cooking dinner tonight. And you know what? I did a boat load of laundry this weekend. I think that qualifies me for a loooong session between the sheets tonight -- with lots of foreplay. I made the bathroom shine, so someone better make me meow. And while we're on the subject, will there be spankings for when I'm "naughty" and burn the toast? Just wondering. Really, the more I think about it, the better Pat Robertson's advice sounds.
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What do you think about Pat Robertson's chores-for-sex rule?
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