Couplehood

Zusatztext Cited by Time magazine as "the season's best new sitcom" in its 1992 debut! NBC's hit comedy! Mad About You ! has collected his comic observations about life and love in Couplehood ! a New York Times bestseller for more than 40 weeks. In Couplehood ! Reiser reflects on what it means to be half of a couple -- everything from the science of hand holding! to the technique of tag-team storytelling! to the politics of food and why it always seems to come down to chicken or fish. Informationen zum Autor Paul Reiser Klappentext In the tradition of the #1 best-seller SeinLanguage, Bantam Books proudly presents the first book by Paul Reiser, television's sharpest, funniest observer of love, marriage and other mysteries of life. A veteran comic performer, Reiser is best-known as the co-creator and star of the highly-rated NBC comedy, "Mad About You", which Time Magazine called "The season's best new sitcom" in its 1992 debut. Every Thursday night more than twenty million viewers watch as Paul Reiser reveals the most intimate and hilarious scenes of a marriage. Now for the first time, Reiser brings his trademark wit to the page in a book that will delight his eagerly-awaiting audience, and anyone else who has ever fallen in love -- or tried not to. In Couplehood, a New York Times bestseller for more than 40 weeks, Reiser reflects on what it means to be half of a couple -- everything from the science of hand holding, to the technique of tag-team storytelling, to the politics of food and why it always seems to come down to chicken or fish. Leseprobe Chapter 9 - Chicken or Fish With someone you love, food becomes politics. We're in a restaurant and I'm about to eat a big fried piece of something crusty, and my loved one, very discreetly, gives me the little "Do you really want that?" look. I think, "She's probably right." And I pass. Later -- during the same meal, she orders some Chocolate Sticky Pie of Death, and I, in the most loving tone I can muster, step into the ring with "Sweetie, are you going to be upset later if you eat that?" She looks at me for a long time, tells the waiter to go away, and then flings one of those really big spoons at my throat. I say, "Hey, wait a minute, you said the same thing to me." She says, "Yeah, cause you don't mind." "Right, because you said it out of Love. Out of Concern." "That's right." "So, if I say the same thing to you , wouldn't you naturally assume that I -- " "It's different." "Why?" "Because I mind." You see how it works? There are different eating rules for each of you. But, again, you don't know what they are until you've broken them. We're out for dinner, the food comes, and I jump in. I grab the pepper thing and put some pepper on the food. I start eating. And I notice I'm getting the look. I've done something wrong. I look up. "What?" She skips the specific and goes straight to the general. Very sweetly: "Let me make it easy for you: If you ever have something, anything at all, please see if I'd like some." I said, "Do you want pepper?" She goes, "No, but I might." "But you didn't actually want --" "It would be nice of you to think of me ." "Okay, I understand that, but just to clarify about the pepper -- you don't want any." "No, thanks." "You're not interested in pepper." "Not this time." See? We were just setting the rules for next time. Sometimes you have to make up rules as you go along. Example: My bride is trying not to eat meat. I try to be supportive. "Do you want me not to eat this chicken in front of you?" "No, no, it's fine." "Cause I don't want you to be tempted and then eat it and feel bad about it...

Autorentext

Paul Reiser

Klappentext

In the tradition of the #1 best-seller SeinLanguage, Bantam Books proudly presents the first book by Paul Reiser, television's sharpest, funniest observer of love, marriage and other mysteries of life. A veteran comic performer, Reiser is best-known as the co-creator and star of the highly-rated NBC comedy, "Mad About You", which Time Magazine called "The season's best new sitcom" in its 1992 debut. Every Thursday night more than twenty million viewers watch as Paul Reiser reveals the most intimate and hilarious scenes of a marriage. Now for the first time, Reiser brings his trademark wit to the page in a book that will delight his eagerly-awaiting audience, and anyone else who has ever fallen in love -- or tried not to. In Couplehood, a New York Times bestseller for more than 40 weeks, Reiser reflects on what it means to be half of a couple -- everything from the science of hand holding, to the technique of tag-team storytelling, to the politics of food and why it always seems to come down to chicken or fish.

Leseprobe
Chapter 9 - Chicken or Fish

With someone you love, food becomes politics.

We're in a restaurant and I'm about to eat a big fried piece of something crusty, and my loved one, very discreetly, gives me the little "Do you really want that?" look.  I think, "She's probably right."  And I pass.

Later -- during the same meal, she orders some Chocolate Sticky Pie of Death, and I, in the most loving tone I can muster, step into the ring with "Sweetie, are you going to be upset later if you eat that?"

She looks at me for a long time, tells the waiter to go away, and then flings one of those really big spoons at my throat.

I say, "Hey, wait a minute, you said the same thing to me."

She says, "Yeah, `cause you don't mind."

"Right, because you said it out of Love.  Out of Concern."

"That's right."

"So, if I say the same thing to you, wouldn't you naturally assume that I -- "

"It's different."

"Why?"

"Because I mind."

You see how it works?  There are different eating rules for each of you.  But, again, you don't know what they are until you've broken them.

We're out for dinner, the food comes, and I jump in.  I grab the pepper thing and put some pepper on the food.  I start eating.

And I notice I'm getting the look.  I've done something wrong.  I look up. "What?"

She skips the specific and goes straight to the general.  Very sweetly:  "Let me make it easy for you:  If you ever have something, anything at all, please see if I'd like some."

I said, "Do you want pepper?"

She goes, "No, but I might."

"But you didn't actually want --"

"It would be nice of you to think of me."

"Okay, I understand that, but just to clarify about the pepper -- you don't want any."

"No, thanks."

"You're not interested in pepper."

"Not this time."

See?  We were just setting the rules for next time.

Sometimes you have to make up rules as you go along.

Example:

My bride is trying not to eat meat.  I try to be supportive.

"Do you want me not to eat this chicken in front of you?"

"No, no, it's fine."

" `Cause I don't want you to be tempted and then eat it and feel bad about it."

"I won't."

"And I don't want you to make me feel bad about eating meat."

"No, no, I won't."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm fine.  Eat the chicken."

Fine.  So I'm eating the chicken, and I notice she keeps watching me eat.

I say, "What?"

She picks up my plate and with a real sad face says to my food, "I'm sorry people eat you, Mr. Chicken."

"Hey!"

"What?" she says.

I say, "Don't do that."

"Do what?"

I had to think for a second, then came …