Jumping the Shark
If you came here for toothy sex I am so sorry to disappoint – I’m just not that into aqua-eroticism, fishtiality or any such nonsense.
In this case, the term “jumping the shark” is a colloquialism coined by TV critics and fans to denote that point at which a TV show, movie series’ or your life veers off plot into absurd story lines. It stems from the finalish episode of “Happy Days” when the Fonz waterski-gambols over a ridiculously fake shark in an effort to garner ratings.
The phrase has been used more recently outside the realm of popular culture to represent anything that has reached its peak and has declined in quality. Like relationships, for instance.
Have you ever awakened to perceive the other person in a COMPLETELY different light and you can never go back to the way things were? You irrevocably jump that shark. It is either the loss of respect, a wistful longing for some idyllic past or some naked realization of personal perfidy. But, in your heart, you know it’s over.
The good news is that some relationships can be immunized against shark jumping. It takes a huge commitment to renewal and reinvention. It requires both parties take personal responsibility for enriching and extending their mutual storylines, their conjoined plot – with particular attention to rising action, climax, falling action, and that final, sweet dénouement.
So do you have any ‘jumping the shark’ experiences to share (kudos for honesty and creativity)?
How do you keep a relationship from ‘jumping the shark’?
