In One Man's Fall, Bruises for All

Johnson: "Gaaaarrrgh."

Like Ralph and Erica Long, shopping for Enfamil in a CVS with their infant son.

Erica (benevolently): "I would support him unless it was something really weird, like the New Jersey governor. Then no." Explains that marriages are about forgiveness, but she still thinks the situation is tragic.

Ralph (starting strong, wavering): "Most men don't go looking for it. It's just something that happens. . . . Look at my beautiful wife and son. I'm not going to try to jeopardize that, but if something came along, it would be really hard to . . . "

Erica: Gaaaarrrgh.

There is nothing like a public scandal to prompt private introspection. Shrinks call them "teachable moments," those calamitous events that are really only opportunities for us to have measured, reasonable discussions of a philosophical nature.

Do you think that Eliot Spitzer's actions should have dissolved his marriage? Discuss.

Do you think that men and women have different ideas of what constitutes cheating? Discuss.

Do you think that there is a biological reason that men behave like such scum of the Earth, and don't you think for a minute that you would ever get away with it, buddy, because there no way I would not find out, and once I did you would be on the curb so fast, oh I saw the way that waitress looked at you. Discuss.

"I told Bob that he wouldn't even have made it to the podium," says Vickie Billings, standing in a Whole Foods produce aisle with her husband, Robert. "Because a certain body part of his would be missing."

Robert Billings affectionately pokes at his wife of 10 years. "This one does tend to personalize things a bit."

Ah, yes. The question may be, "Why do men do this?" But what's really being asked is, "Why would you do this? What could be missing/failing in our relationship that could cause you to throw it all away?"