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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

WW3 because I watched a TV programme

354 replies

Frances2468 · 12/06/2020 07:53

Hi everyone,

I am feeling so low today. I am feeling like I have no choice but to end my relationship. I feel so unhappy and saddened by how petty disagreements have become.

My partner is angry at me, stormed off to bed last night, and this morning asking for an apology because I watched a TV programme without him last night.

I have depression and I had been feeling well the past few months, but the past few weeks I have had a bit of a downer. Getting sick of lockdown, and all the emotions stirred from BLM, I have just been feeling very negative and sad at the world.

Anyway, last night my partner had a video call booked in with friends (1 of these friends is actually an ex FWB) so this does make me feel a bit anxious, even though I have never tried to interfere in the friendship or stop them being friends, but yes it does sometimes give me a bit of a anxious knot in my tummy when I know they are meeting up or talking on the phone or whatever.

Anyway he was upstairs in the bedroom on the video call, I was downstairs. I am not actually a big TV lover, but I was feeling a bit down so just wanted something lazy to occupy me. I decided to watch 12 years a slave, but after an hour and 10 minutes I couldn't stomach it any longer as it was very upsetting.

I went upstairs to get my PJ's on and I saw his friend on the screen and I immediately felt filled with self deprecating thoughts about myself. "She is prettier than me", "I wonder if he thinks that too" this is totally MY issue and not my partner's. I 100% recognise this. I was not going to put this on my partner, I am just trying to explain I was feeling vulnerable and not great.

I went back downstairs trying to find something to watch. I decided to watch the next episode of this cheesy reality TV programme we watch together. I just wanted something really trashy and easy going to make me feel better. I would have been happy to watch it again with my partner.

About 20 mins into the programme my partner has finished the video call and comes downstairs.

He says "I can't believe you are watching this without me!" And he is really angry. I am stunned into silence. And I really don't deal well with anger anyway and it makes me clam up. He says "I can't believe you have done that, we watch that together. I would never do that to you"

I try to explain that I just couldn't find anything else to watch.

He wants me to apologise. I feel like a kid being told off. I feel stunned at this OTT reaction.

He goes up the stairs to bed muttering that he wouldn't do that to me, and if did I would have been angry and it isn't fair.

I just think is this worth it? It is just a programme! I would have happily watched it again. I am sorry it hurt his feelings- I didnt expect that reaction at all.

This morning he says all I have to do is apologise and can we move on. I feel flabbergasted- me apologise?!?! All I did was watch a programme. I was feeling low (not that you bothered to ask me how I was feeling) and wanted to watch something trashy. Is this really worth an argument?

He says that I am patronising and I am in validating his feelings. That I have OTT reactions in the past so it is rich coming from me to say he acted out of order.

He says that I just can't handle being told off. I said I am sorry I hurt his feelings, I am not trying to invalidate him feeling disappointed or whatever but the way he handled it was just not very nice.

He says I like to play the victim.

I just feel like this is a stupid thing to get angry and punish me for! He is using this as an excuse to get angry for all the others I have done wrong to him

OP posts:
crispysausagerolls · 12/06/2020 16:10

@thepeopleversuswork

People have off days and get annoyed. That’s how life is. This isn’t some dramatic yelling and calling her names, or getting nasty. He was just upset and overreacted. I can’t believe people saying there is never an overreaction or strop in their house. I have a very happy marriage but of course occasionally someone has a bit of a “tantrum” (and by someone, I mean me!) - it’s nothing to do with “raising the bar”- it’s being realistic about the fact that people aren’t perfect. Tbh I usually find that my friends who argue with husbands have much happier marriages and healthier relationships than the ones who clam up and say nothing. Not to say this relationship sounds healthy - it doesn’t. But mostly because OP just shuts up about stuff which clearly bothers her eg the FWB, behaves passive aggressively and paints herself as a victim.

It sounds to me like OP watched it without him as a punishment for him speaking to FWB.

crispysausagerolls · 12/06/2020 16:12

@Sizedoesmatter

Spot on (and your username! 😄)

NearlyGranny · 12/06/2020 16:12

You've done nothing wrong, and you've apologised once already! If he wanted to spend time with you, he could have done. He chose to chat with friends. That's his choice, too. He's not angry with you, I reckon, he's angry with himself and projecting it onto you.

You don't need to put up with that.

Vivi0 · 12/06/2020 16:17

It sounds to me like OP watched it without him as a punishment for him speaking to FWB

Of course she did! She knows it and he knows it. That’s why he is so annoyed with her.

thepeopleversuswork · 12/06/2020 16:20

crispysausagerolls

We're just going to have to agree to disagree on this.

Of course people have rows and tantrums from time to time and its not inherently unhealthy as long as they can argue respectfully. But I really don't think its fine to have a massive strop and demand an apology from your OH because they've watched a TV programme without your consent.

It's clearly a very unhappy relationship overall the OP has said that and this particular episode is probably fairly minor in the scheme of things.

I've said it before and I will say it until I'm blue in the face because I'm really quite disturbed by it: I think throwing a strop because your OH doesn't ask your permission to watch "our programme" is all kinds of fucked up. Any relationship like this has run its course and should be put out to grass.

Vivi0 · 12/06/2020 16:24

I think throwing a strop because your OH doesn't ask your permission to watch "our programme" is all kinds of fucked up

He threw “a strop” because he knows the only reason the OP watched the programme was to punish him for being on the video call. There is only so much of that nonsense one can take.

crispysausagerolls · 12/06/2020 16:25

I think throwing a strop because your OH doesn't ask your permission to watch "our programme" is all kinds of fucked up

I think watching an episode of a show you ALWAYS watch with your partner/they probably look forward to watching with you, without them, is a dick move and a pretty unpleasant thing to do. To me it’s the same as making myself a cup of coffee and not asking my husband if he wants one when he’s sitting there too. Or cooking dinner for me and not him when he’s there. It’s just not how someone in a team behaves. But yes, we won’t agree on that 😄

crispysausagerolls · 12/06/2020 16:26

Also it really depends how you interpret the post and what a “strop” is for you. It was probably late, he was tired and thought “fuck it, I’m not going to be able to enjoy this properly now as I’m annoyed; may as well go to bed”. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Wewearpinkonwednesdays · 12/06/2020 16:33

I think throwing a strop because your OH doesn't ask your permission to watch "our programme" is all kinds of fucked up

I agree. I've don't this loads of times, if there's nothing else on I want to watch. My do doesn't get to dictate what I watch on the TV alone. He is perfectly capable of watching it himself to catch up, and if he ever reacted like that I would tell him to go fuck himself. How pathetic. I grown man throwing a bloody tantrum because you watched a programme without him. I can't believe all the people on here who would react the same as him!

thepeopleversuswork · 12/06/2020 16:35

crispysausagerolls

"I think watching an episode of a show you ALWAYS watch with your partner/they probably look forward to watching with you, without them, is a dick move and a pretty unpleasant thing to do."

A dick move to choose to watch a TV show without your partner? Jesus wept. How would the poor man cope if he didn't have the OP to watch TV with?

Microwaveoven · 12/06/2020 16:43

How anyone can say that the DH is abusive is beyond me.
People strop sometimes and sometimes it happens because you have been pushed to your limit with living with a victim.

I bet my ass when he walked in the room OP had a face like thunder and then acted all mopy like she didn't understand what's going on.

The reason OP watched the programme (which wasn't scheduled on t.v she actually had to search for it on a streaming platform) was to make the DH feel bad. It worked but not in the way OP wanted. She wanted him to apologise for being on the phone and be all "are you ok, you look sad"

I also have a very very big insight into victim behaviour and it's awful to be around.

Microwaveoven · 12/06/2020 16:46

Also OP, if your husband talking on the phone to a women he once had sex with upsets you then you need to open up a discussion about it. But paint yourself as a victim.

Microwaveoven · 12/06/2020 16:46

*But DON'T paint yourself as a victim.

Frances2468 · 12/06/2020 16:48

Knowing him, I feel his apology wasn't genuine. He already said multiple times he had done nothing wrong and I feel he just said sorry but there was no meaning behind it.

I domt know how many times I have to repeat that I did not watch the show as a punishment for him being on the video call. I had no idea watching this programme together was such a meaningful thing for him! If I was really going to try and be passive aggressive about it I would have done something a bit more severe?!

If he thought I was annoyed at that he would have said and he hasn't. He just feels that I was selfish/careless didn't think of him

OP posts:
Frances2468 · 12/06/2020 16:51

He knows how I feel about his friendship with the girl. We have spoken about it before, but what else is there to keep talking about? He knows it makes me feel anxious and he is mindful of that. But it is my problem not his so I dont need to try and make him feel bad when he talks to her. If I cant handle he is friends with her I shouldnt be with him. It does make me feel anxious but he doesn't see her often so I guess I felt that it was manageable

OP posts:
Sizedoesmatter · 12/06/2020 16:59

@Frances2468

Knowing him, I feel his apology wasn't genuine. He already said multiple times he had done nothing wrong and I feel he just said sorry but there was no meaning behind it.

I domt know how many times I have to repeat that I did not watch the show as a punishment for him being on the video call. I had no idea watching this programme together was such a meaningful thing for him! If I was really going to try and be passive aggressive about it I would have done something a bit more severe?!

If he thought I was annoyed at that he would have said and he hasn't. He just feels that I was selfish/careless didn't think of him

Well, sorry, but you either accept the apology or you don't. You can't have it both ways. Moping around and dragging it on just to keep victimising yourself isn't OK. The whole argument is ridiculous, if you're both fighting over TV shows and you can't manage to let it go then you have bigger issues.
Microwaveoven · 12/06/2020 17:02

It's a difficult one OP. As I think I would feel anxious too if DH was talking to an ex. Especially if you had spoken about it and nothing changed. I am trying to think what I would do....
I guess I would have to deal with those feelings myself and remember my trust for DH and that he loved me. But I can see that you and your DH are struggling with your relationship which will make the anxiety worse. Sorry OP. Will think it over more. But I don't see how your marriage is working at the moment.

Is it lockdown? Was it there before? Do you both want to work on your relationship? I guess that's the big one because if the answer is no from either of you then it won't get better.

DidoLamenting · 12/06/2020 17:04

I only read the first 2 pages. I'm stunned at the joined at the hip couples who have to watch television together. Weird, really weird.

Jkslays · 12/06/2020 17:08

@Microwaveoven

How anyone can say that the DH is abusive is beyond me. People strop sometimes and sometimes it happens because you have been pushed to your limit with living with a victim.

I bet my ass when he walked in the room OP had a face like thunder and then acted all mopy like she didn't understand what's going on.

The reason OP watched the programme (which wasn't scheduled on t.v she actually had to search for it on a streaming platform) was to make the DH feel bad. It worked but not in the way OP wanted. She wanted him to apologise for being on the phone and be all "are you ok, you look sad"

I also have a very very big insight into victim behaviour and it's awful to be around.

Jesus you need to chill and and take a step back from the thread. Who are you the fuck buddy?
Microwaveoven · 12/06/2020 17:09

I also do think there is a difference between watching 'a TV show' and 'watching our TV show'. OP can watch whatever she likes. But I think if you are committed to a programme you watch together then it should stay that way. I don't have time to catch up on hours of t.v and would be disappointed with DH if he ploughed on through our favourite t.v with out me. It would be bloody annoying more than anything as I would have to find the time to catch up and it's not the same watching it on your own when you are so used to watching it together. Especially when you are 6 or 7 seasons in!!

DidoLamenting · 12/06/2020 17:11

Good grief- "watching our show". I'm stunned.

Microwaveoven · 12/06/2020 17:14

I'm stunned at the joined at the hip couples who have to watch television together. Weird, really weird.

It's not weird to enjoy watching ONE specific programme together.

Microwaveoven · 12/06/2020 17:20

Good grief- "watching our show". I'm stunned.
Honestly why is it so strange that 2 people who have decided to share their lives together, including living in the same house, also might enjoy watching the same t.v programme at the same time? It's not weird or strange. It's perfectly normal.
Trying to read the same copy of a book at the same time would be strange and annoying!!

mathanxiety · 12/06/2020 17:22

Living with someone who wants to 'win' is a miserable, exhausting experience.

The relationship is all about him and his feelings.

Please, please look seriously at leaving. Look in affordable areas.

crispysausagerolls · 12/06/2020 17:35

@Microwaveoven

I also don’t understand the confusion re watching specific shows together. Eg DH and I loved Game Of Thrones. He works very long hours so wasn’t home for when it aired on TV. I wanted to watch it but I was happy to wait until he was free later in the week, because it was just something we watched together. Also because he’s hilarious and I enjoy his commentary/spending time with him/sharing something we both enjoy. I’m not sure why people find this so odd. If he had decided randomly to watch it without me somehow I would absolutely be a bit 🧐

Considering ending a relationship over this is what seems very overly dramatic. If the FWB thing is an issue/there are other issues then by all means the OP should leave. But leaving because her husband had a little tantrum and she doesn’t accept his apology is so stupid.