Neighbors with Benefits gives a whole new meaning to the phrase 'love thy neighbor.'
A&E's Neighbors With Benefits gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "love thy neighbor."
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The docuseries follows the residents of a suburban community in Ohio where many couples maintain the controversial "swinger" lifestyle that the show insists is surprisingly common. The promos for the series claim that these couples are just one of more than 15 million swingers in America.
One couple, Diana and Tony, explained to ET how they became a part of the swinger community.
"We started this lifestyle pretty much from day one of us being together," Diana told ET. "We met very young in life -- in our early 20s -- and we just weren't quite ready to settle down."
Diana and Tony have been married for five years and are raising three young children from 5 to 10 years old, who could be in for a shock when they get older.
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"The kids don't know about the lifestyle," Diana told ET. "They know just as much about our lifestyle as any 10, 9, and 5-year-old should, which is nothing."
Parents, religious groups and some local residents are outraged, saying this is just another TV show that promotes cheating. We asked a certified sex educator whether this could help or hurt a marriage.
"If it is someone who knows, 'I want a safe, sane world in my marriage, but I know I can't give all the adventure to my partner,' then that's something that they could consider looking at," said Lou Paget. "But it has to be open and it has to be negotiated."
Tony and Diana have stuck by their rules for swapping. Their two biggest rules are to practice safe sex and maintain honest communication.
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"I think people associate the lifestyle too much with cheating and affairs and really it's the complete opposite of that," Diana said.
Neighbors With Benefits premieres March 22 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on A&E.