<p>H and I went to his office party last night. It was in a nice but unremarkable Italian restaurant in your average suburb. A normal crowd, exactly what you’d expect in the 'burbs on a Saturday night.</p>
<p>We were in a private room in the back, but we had to walk through through the entire restaurant to get there, so we couldn’t help but see a man, sitting in a banquette next to … a mannequin. He was about 35 or so, an entirely normal looking guy. She was … well, a mannequin - dressed with fairly heavy makeup and a revealing, dressy outfit. Some thought her features looked someone Asian in nature; I wasn’t close enough to them to have an opinion one way or the other. He had his arm around her and was caressing her face, the one might caress a date’s face. (Actually that in and of itself is what caught the attention of our party - it was a little “intense” for a public place.)</p>
<p>The waitress serving us said she knew all about him. He was a regular and he and Jackie (that’s what he called her) show up at least once a week. Sometimes he says party of 4 and then calls and says the other 2 aren’t showing up. He would say to the waitress, oh, Jackie’s not eating tonight, and then just order his own food. They’ve been “married” (that’s what the guy calls it) for 10 years. He travels with her. He brings her in to the restaurant in a wheelchair and presumably that’s how he travels with her too – not slung over his shoulder or anything. </p>
<p>The waitress said she was creeped out at first (understandably) but the more she talked to this guy, the more she realized that hey, better he do this creepy behavior with a mannequin, than a young child or an unwilling young woman, and we couldn’t help but agree there.</p>
<p>Anyone ever seen this in person? We were so creeped out and it was all our table could discuss. I don’t know how we would have handled it if he’d been in the room with us. </p>
<p>It’s kind of creepy, agreed, but is it really so different than people who treat animals like their children? I have (currently) 4 pets, 2 dogs and 2 cats, and I love them quite a bit, but they don’t ride around in a stroller nor do I intend to leave them anything in my will.</p>
<p>It might be weird, but definitely not as weird/creepy/disgusting/reprehensible as men who apparently enjoy taking advantage of unconscious/drugged women. He found a way to satisfy himself without hurting a sentient being. Good for him.</p>
<p>Also reminds me of an old “Two and a Half Men” episode where Rose is trying to make Charlie jealous with her new beau Manny Quinn, who works in the fashion industry.</p>
<p>Update: Google “mannequin” “Brookfield Zoo.” Apparently he took her to the zoo in a wheelchair and bought a stuffed animal for her. This is the same guy we saw last night.</p>
<p>People in our party had different reactions. I was creeped out. My husband and some of the others just found it very sad.</p>
<p>We were speculating - what do you do with someone like this in your family? He’s not hurting anybody - but do you let him bring her to Christmas dinner? </p>
<p>“It’s kind of creepy, agreed, but is it really so different than people who treat animals like their children? I have (currently) 4 pets, 2 dogs and 2 cats, and I love them quite a bit, but they don’t ride around in a stroller nor do I intend to leave them anything in my will.”</p>
<p>Yeah, I think it’s way different from people who treat animals like their children! An animal is at least a living being - there is some reciprocity when your dog licks your hand or cuddles next to you or whatever. This is make-believe!</p>
<p>I saw a TV show called “Taboo” recently which featured a man who was in love with a manequin and had been “in a relationship” with “her” for 10 years. He indicated he’d had little success IRL with women and found this arrangement worked for him. There was speculation that he was on the autism spectrum and he seemed to agree with this. Perhaps it is the same guy?</p>
<p>Don’t know. Did it say where the guy was from? I’m from the Chicago area (hence the Brookfield Zoo reference). We were at a restaurant that is maybe 10 miles from that area.</p>
<p>I wonder if a restaurant would be within their rights to prohibit him if it made other diners uncomfortable. I have no idea of the legalities around this. </p>
<p>They were sitting in a bar area, but at a banquette. There were other people in this area, though no one was right next to them. I don’t know if that was deliberate or accidental.</p>
<p>At one point, the guy got up (presumably to use the restroom) and she kind of tilted / fell a little bit when she was unattended. I guess he would have to sit next to her at a banquette to keep her upright, compared to being across the table from her. </p>
<p>@Pizzagirl, you might be right about the pets (I’m with two snoring dogs right now and it is pleasant for me.</p>
<p>Still, weird as it is, I don’t see any harm in it, and there are so many aberrations and fetishes that are harmful to others that I cut him some slack. And yes, if he were in my family, they’d both be welcome at dinner. Heck, I set a place for my ex-BIL at Thanksgiving, and he was, IMO, a dirtbag. </p>