DEAR MISS MANNERS: Is it considered rude when you are watching something on TV and your husband joins you, then wants to change the channel -- not to something you both like, but to something he likes?
If the shoe was on the other foot, I would watch whatever he was watching until it was done, and then we would try to find something we both liked. If we couldn’t find anything, we would just talk.
GENTLE READER: It is not rude for your husband to want to change the channel, only to follow through.
As with the law, the rule should be weighted toward first possession. After that, polite negotiation should ensue.
However, if all else fails, consider a second television. As with having separate bathrooms, Miss Manners has found that it can be worth its price in arguments. But she feels compelled to add, for the sake of your marriage, you would do well to also make time for actual conversation.