Man banishes himself to the basement every Friday to avoid watching his wife's favorite TV show, marriage tension at an all time high: "I'm not forcing you to go to the basement"

Author image for Ely Bulnes
Ely Bulnes • Writer and Editor
Jan 27, 2025 4:00 PM EST

While the overlap in the Venn diagram of media that my fiancé and I both enjoy is actually quite large, we are not always in the mood for the same thing. He is a film student, and as such, he is required (and enjoys) old, classic cinema and art house films. I do love being transfixed by a good Kurosawa or Tarkovsky movie, but every once in a while, I just want to watch a silly 2000s rom com or an episode of Hunter x Hunter. When we really can't agree, we just move to separate rooms to enjoy what we want. He usually claims the TV in the living room to watch his cinematic masterpieces, and I curl up in bed with my laptop.

In our story today, our protagonist's husband cannot stand her favorite show, Ru Paul's Drag Race, which she watches for an hour every Friday evening. Instead of going to another room or making dinner or just scrolling on his phone for a bit, he banishes himself to the basement. Unable to comprehend that he is doing this to himself, he attempts to blame her for taking a small amount of time to herself. Read the full story below.

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  • 01

    AITA for taking over the living room to watch a TV show my husband doesn’t like every Friday night?

    369 8 O +9 € "He feels that he shouldn't have to be relegated to the basement on Friday nights after he works hard."
    via towfiqu barbhuiya

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02
    My (f, 35) husband (m, 35) and I live in a relatively small house with one area to watch TV. We do have an unfinished basement that currently contains an area for working out, an area for doing laundry, and then the rest is storage. For context, I do not work
    via u/ThislsUrMoment
  • 03
    on Fridays, but my husband does. My favorite show is RuPaul's Drag Race, which airs on Friday nights. My husband does not like this show, which is his right, and when I watch it, he feels the need to go in the basement for the entire hour and a half that it's on. It's recently caused a lot of contention in our
    via u/ThislsUrMoment
  • 04
    Cheezburger Image 10460005120
    via baseimage

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 05
    relationship because he feels that he shouldn't have to be relegated to the basement on Friday nights after he works hard. This is the only show that I watch when it airs, and I don't like to record it and watch it later because I don't want to see spoilers
    via u/ThislsUrMoment

  • Mr. Man, you are relegating yourself to the dungeon! Unshackle your chains and watch something on your laptop in the room!

  • 06
    on social media which are nearly impossible for me to avoid. I just don't think I'm being unreasonable by wanting to watch one show on one night of the week for an hour and a half. I'm not forcing him to go to the basement, he could easily go into the bedroom instead. Tell me Reddit, AITA?
    via u/ThislsUrMoment
  • 07
    1
    via Cunaplus_M.Faba

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 08
    EmperorMrKitty NTA you aren't making him do anything. He's basically telling you that you can't watch it without wanting to actually say it.
    via u/EmperorMrKitty
  • 09
    He can: . • S k it up and play on that phone like even toddlers manage when mom is boring find a hobby, this is why they exist (idk your situation but wifi + xbox/basic smart tv??) • ask for "him time" as a reciprocation
    via u/EmperorMrKitty
  • 10
    He can't: • say you're making him leave if you aren't use that falsehood to control you
    via u/EmperorMrKitty
  • 11
    Chzncna2112 I would have recommended a Nintendo switch
    via u/Chzncna2112
  • 12
    whoisthepinkavenger Or a tablet and earphones? I dislike football but love hanging out with people and have been known to hang out with groups of friends while they're watching The Game while I sit in a corner watching my own stories until there's a break and wanna be social again. It's fine!
    via u/whoisthepinkavenger
  • 13
    musclesotoole NTA He could be setting up the basement for a hobby, or bar, or tv room or anything he fancies instead of complaining. Is there a show he likes that you don't? What do you do when it's on?
    via u/musclesotoole
  • 14
    C-romero80 I watch law and order SVU and NCIS and most of their counterparts. My husband doesn't like them at all, he calls it my super happy fun time show. He will go watch something else in the other room or game or something. In fairness I don't watch it as it airs so it is easier, but still. OPs dude needs to chill.
    via u/C-romero80
  • 15
    TheGirlOnFireAndIce So he hates the show so much he couldn't stand going to the bedroom or staying in the main room doing something else even with headphones? Phones and computers can stream entertainment quite easily in various forms.
    via u/TheGirlOnFireAndIce
  • 16
    Whining about not controlling the entertainment once a week for only the weeks the show is airing new episodes sounds like picking a fight. He's being dramatic. He could even go for a walk or spend time with friends. NTA.
    via u/TheGirlOnFireAndIce
  • 17
    paul_rudds_drag_race 100%. His behavior suggests to me maybe he's never not been centered/catered to.
    via u/paul_rudds_drag_race
  • 18
    flyingdemoncat I got the same issue with trash tv. My dad loves watching some very cheaply made trashy pseudo doku soaps. Its just so incredibly bad. He is happy watching that stuff tho and I don't have to hang around and just go back to my place next door. Mom often comes with me since those shows are a shared hatred and its a good excuse for her to see my cats
    via u/flyingdemoncat
  • 19
    kittygattochat NTA. It's his choice to sashay away, nobody is telling him where to go. So Shantay, you stay. If he seriously can't deal with you spending 90 whole minutes a week doing something you like that he's not into, that's a pretty husband tbh.
    via u/kittygattochat
  • 20
    NTA. SignificantManatee "taking over the living room" ....? ma'am you live there too- tell your husband to grow up and get a life if he can't let you have an hour to yourself in your own home.
    via u/SignificantManatee
  • 21
    SilverScimitar13 INFO: Are there times when he watches programs that you don't care for? And if so, what do you do when he does?
    via u/SilverScimitar13
  • 22
    ThislsUrMoment OP He doesn't currently watch anything I dislike but I would have absolutely no problem going to the bedroom and playing on my phone if he wanted to watch something that I didn't enjoy. I wouldn't make a stink about it, either. It's not MY tv or living room, it's a shared space that frankly, I rarely use except for this one night a week for 16 weeks out of the year.
    via u/ThislsUrMoment
  • 23
    Ok_Cap9557 Nta He can shasay stay in the basement.
    via u/Ok_Cap9557
  • 24
    crayonbox Nta he doesn't need to go to the basement. He decides to go the basement. He could wear headphones and watch something on his phone if he wanted to. He could also go to your bedroom instead of the basement if that's an option. He's intentionally making it inconvenient for him because he isn't getting his way
    via u/crayonbox
  • 25
    schec1 Sounds like he's got an hour and a half every week to finish the basement, NTA.
    via u/schec1

  • This right here is the best comment! He could also work out if he has the equipment down there. An hour workout is pretty standard, and it's just once a week.

  • 26
    Cheezburger Image 10460005376
    via AleksandarNakic

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  • 27
    FunBodybuilder4620 Info: why can't he go to the bedroom or kitchen or use headphones?
    via u/FunBodybuilder4620
  • 28
    ThislsUrMoment OP I genuinely don't know why he won't go to the bedroom, I guess because he works out every night anyway so he just stays down in the basement after his workout for the entire hour and a half even tho it doesn't take him that long to work out.
    via u/ThislsUrMoment
  • 29
    talithaeli So he's choosing to stay down there. He could be in other places, or he could be right next to you with a set of headphones on. He's doing this to himself and you should not entertain any other framing of the situation.
    via u/talithaeli

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marriage Female Empowerment wife reddit story married life relationships husband Movies and TV couples love entitled reddit thread red flag Reddit relationship drama self care
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