Well, here’s something you don’t see everyday. A judge in Nice, France, has fined a 51-year-old man $14,000 bucks for not having more sex with his wife. His ex filed for divorce two years ago, laying the blame squarely on her less-than-amorous husband. The husband, for his part, blamed the lack of bedtime aerobics on the fact that he was sick and tired a lot of the time. Not good enough for the judge, who ruled that under France’s civil code, married couples “must agree to a shared communal life” and ordered him to pay up. So should there be a sexual mandate in marriage?
A while back I was talking with a friend of mine. He’s a young, single, good-looking man with a good job and a very, bright future. He turned to me and said, “I’m going to marry a woman who loves, LOVES sex!” I had to laugh at that. It’s not that we don’t LOVE sex (most of us anyway), but sometimes life gets in the way. I joke about not only living my life but also my husband’s and kids’ lives too. When I fall into bed at night, I ain’t gonna lie; I’m exhausted! One of the last things I want to think about is suiting up for the big game. Should I? Of course! Would? In a perfect world? Yes. Do I? Well…
Times change, people change and, as anyone in a long-term relationship knows, the kind of sex that leaves the sheets smoldering, takes more time, effort and imagination that it used to. We know communication is key and that much of the “foreplay” actually doesn’t take place in the bedroom at all; it comes in the form of doing dishes, getting the kids out of your partner’s hair, or leaving a nice note or racy text message to your paramour, to name just a few. Would it have kept that French couple out of court? Who knows? But remembering that might help keep our partners happy and save a little money in the process.
Okay so let’s debate. Should a man have to pay for not having enough sex with his wife? Should their be a sexual mandate in marriage? How much sex should married couples have? And is it logical, even reasonable, for one to sue because they aren’t getting enough? Lemme hear ya!
