Note: This essay was written by Baylea Douglas, a student at Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University, in 2025.
“Audio Tour” by Patricia Marx guides us along as a woman named Debby gives us a tour of her unfaithful lover’s apartment to find evidence of him cheating. In a situation relatable to almost everyone, Debby gives us a look into her and Todd Neisle’s relationship. Though betrayal at this level is heart breaking and painful, Patricia Marx uses humor and a relatable scenario to offer therapeutic benefits for readers, especially those who have experienced betrayal in romantic relationships. Her witty tone provides the reader with a laugh and emotional release to help cope with the shared experience.
The author’s comedic tone provides an unexpected form of therapy. The sarcastic comments and the absurdity of the observations described provide the reader with a joyful reading experience even though the story is about finding out her lover is cheating. For example, Debby in Todd’s bedroom asks the audience to “Examine the objects in the master bedroom. Here is the famous jar of pennies and the original green shag rug from Todd Niesle's college days. Pay close attention to the black lace brassiere in the bottom drawer of Todd Niesle's bureau. The brassiere (36D) is not typical of the underwear of Todd Niesle. Or of mine (32B).You may be wondering what the brassiere is doing in this exhibit of the World of Todd Niesle and His Stuff. As Todd Niesle's quondam girlfriend, I, Debby, am wondering this, too”. This sarcastic tone is a genius tool that allows the reader to relate to Debby and her bewilderment of finding another woman’s bra in his room. By saying that the bra isn’t Todd’s usual attire, it makes the reader laugh at the situation. And as we know, laughter is the best medicine.
This story is also therapeutic for those who have experienced betrayal in romantic relationships because it rawly displays the confusion, anger, and awkwardness felt by someone who catches their partner cheating and allows them to feel seen in this shared experience. An example of this is found when Debby looks into Todd’s closet to find his ski gear still there. This is not expected since he is supposed to be skiing with his brother in Vermont. Debby responds by saying “Once again, Todd Niesle proves himself to be a master at creating a scenario that elicits powerful emotions, such as hatred and disgust”. Debby later finds a photo of another woman on the wall. After prying the frame open, she finds that her picture is in the back of the frame. Like many others would do, she compares herself to the woman in the photo. She asks the audience to “Compare the two images. Can you discern from the vulgar contours of Sue Ann Kraftsow's face, the lifeless pallor, and the vague gaze that she is unworthy of even as base a miscreant as Todd Niesle? She's also fat. The second image, of me, Debby, on the other hand, shows a woman blessed with keen intelligence and generosity of spirit. It would be unscholarly of me, Debby, to point out the obvious aesthetic differences, but you, the viewer, can draw your own conclusions”. This is hilariously relatable. The feelings of anger, disgust, betrayal, and animosity towards your replacement is something felt by almost everyone in a situation like Debbie’s. This allows the reader to relate to her and place themselves in Debbie’s shoes.
While in Debbie’s shoes, the audience can have a nice laugh at the end of the story when she says “We have come to the end of our retrospective of the World of Todd Niesle and His Shit. You can return your Acoustiguide in the foyer. There is no charge for this tour, but, if you enjoyed yourself, call Todd Niesle and tell him so. His number is 212-399-4838 and he can be reached at 3 a.m. He likes pizza, ten pies at a time, and Rizzo's delivers. I, Debby, care not what you do with the key”. This humorous end to the story allows the reader to laugh at the silliness of the situation. While the pain of the betrayal is still there, Debby was able to find humor in the situation by asking the audience to have pizza sent to Todd’s apartment. Hopefully after reading this story, those who have experienced romantic betrayal have a good laugh. I also feel they will have newfound hope that one day soon they will be able to move on and say “good riddance” to their cheating partner!
