Trendspotting: Warm Hands, Cold Heart
Faux Frontal Affection
What might it mean when relationship red flags are invisible to everyone but the couple?
After Marianne Gingrich, Newt’s second missus, claimed that Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher), Heidi Klum and Seal’s separation after seven years of marriage took our breath away (sad, but true). This from the pair who famously renewed their vows each year, never shied away from smooching on a red carpet and introduced three children into their family? As was the case with Seal and Heidi, when couples don’t fly their relationship red flags very high, they go unseen to most everyone but the dissatisfied two. Psychologists say over-the-top lovey behavior can be a sign of overcompensation, as a couple labors to prove not only to themselves but to the rest of the world that all is right when it’s really wrong. Couples who argue once a week may actually have the strongest unions, says a new study out of India, while those putting on a happy face are the most suspect. One therapist says that the man who makes sexually suggestive comments about his wife at a dinner party is most likely not having sex with his wife. On the other hand, the author of How Not to Marry the Wrong Guy says PDA may or may not signal marital distress, as the best relationships are about how good things feel, not about how good they look. In other words, you can’t judge a book by its cover—but you may be able to judge a marriage by what goes on underneath the covers.




