Marriage Rant
I have a secret obsession. I love trashy gossip magazines. I crave them. I love looking at the pictures of the beautiful people, and reading about their lives. Its sick, I know. So, when I’m at the gym I make a beeline for the magazine rack and then spend 30 minutes happily ignoring the pain that the elliptical is inflicting on my body by filling my mind with trashy gossip about people who are barely real.
I’ve noticed a trend lately. It seems like the new fad in Hollywood (besides those stupid ‘tattooed’ trucker hats) is to find another famous person, fall into puppy love, have a huge lavish wedding, then have an equally fabulous divorce 4-12 months later. The most amazing thing about this is that we, the adoring public, eat it all up. We WANT to know why Brad and Jen didn’t work out. We want to know if Rene found her new husband was cheating. We find ourselves reading on to find out if Denise and Charlie really can get their act together.
Yesterday I got to thinking about this whole marriage thing. Honestly, I do feel like marriage as an institution is not taken as seriously as it used to be. Aside from Hollywood, I’ve known quite a few people who just didn’t seem to get that it was meant to be forever. Obviously people can change, but I can’t ever understand the feeling that some people have that there’s always divorce to fall back on in case it doesn’t work. Why get married in the first place if you’re not sure?
Now to the point I want to make (bet you didn’t see this coming): I’m amazed that there are people in this world who will go out of their way to insist that two people who are in love and want to be married could possibly be ruining the sanctity of marriage, just because they are the same sex. So what of these celebrities who actually ARE ruining the sanctity of marriage? These are public figures who have a total disregard for the very idea of marriage. For them its about having a big party and getting publicity, on both the marriage and the divorce ends. Yet I don’t read stories about people picketing outside of city halls to keep celebrities from marrying.
I totally hear you…good point
I’m with you 100%. Britney can marry some guy in Vegas and get it annuled, what, 50 hours later, then marry some skeevy dancer who’s exgirlfiriend is pregnant with their second child, but THAT isn’t illegal. No siree, THAT doesn’t erode the moral fabric of our society or the meaning of marriage. However, two men committed to each other for 10 years can’t get married and receive the same legal and civil rights granted to my husband and I? Absolutely insane. Nice blog. I’ll be back!
you’re right on the money there. everything now is so disposable - even marriage. back in the day, they wouldn’t hear of it then…here via michele
I don’t know about that, Amanda. I don’t follow the celebrity marriage (or divorce) stuff. Sometimes it’s not until weeks or even months afterward that I hear about it. I’ll watch their movies and all but I just have no interest in them as people. Let them carry on as they see fit…
Michele sent me here to see you.
Hey. Thanks for stopping by. I agree with what you said. The quickie, married/divorced in the same lunar cycle are the ones ruining the sanctity if you ask me. Then again, no one asks me because I’ll go off. I’ve recently alienated my neighbors with this subject. Whatever. Let the gays married for hell’s sake. It doesn’t cheapen my marriage… Brittney does.
I totally agree with you. Why get married in the first place if you don’t think it’s going to last, or if you’re just doing it for a promotional stunt? Most gay people I know who have chosen to marry, have done so because they truly believe that they are going to be together forever, and they love each other. I’d like to think that most people who get married, do so for this reason. And, why do heterosexuals think that they own the monopoly on marriage anyway?
Hello Amanda…Michele says Hi! (or she would if she was there tonite heheehe)
Like your style, and on the "Touchy Subject" today - I too, view it as an institution that is getting some really awful knocks lately from all sides… I’m 48, never been married, and have been engaged once which is on the outs right now - we’ll just have to see what happens down the road - but I believe that the act of Marriage is something that is between two INDIVIDUALS - be they Man and Wife, be they Same Sex, be they whatever as long as that idea is strong enough between those two said Individuals to hold that bond…. till death do you part.
I proposed because I spent a lot of time with this woman to get to know her, to get to be with her, before I was actually certain that it was truly she I would spend my life with, grow old on the porch, watch grandkids playing in the evening twilite.
It isn’t a bond to be taken lightly for publicitys’ sake, it isn’t to get to a better place than you are now, it isn’t reserved for strictly heterosexuals or "good"Christians who waited… it is a BOND between two People - professing the desire to stay with that Person they choose - because they are truly happy with each other…… and the result is - because most people are unhappy with themselves - they want the rest of us to be so also…… Thanks for the space to rant a bit usually I don’t rant till the weekends anymore (",) !! Doug.
In J. Star’s sidebar it says "marriage is love". I can’t think of a better way to say it.
I really love your site and I love how you write. I’m so glad I found your site! Oh, BTW…Lovely Bones is an awesome read.
Hi Amanda,
Like E, I say: "I really love your site and I love how you write". I’m learning to much english with your posts. Thank you.
My name is salvatore. From Barcelona (Catalunya). I’m preparing a blog in inglish. But, what a problem! I don’t have a good english. I have a slogan for my blog, but i don’t know it’s correct in english. This slogan is: "the photo-musical schedule of the city". Could you comment it? Thanks in advandced. Is it correct that expression?
hi fellow east valley-er.
got here through african kelli through the random muse.
I gobbled up your archives last week. love your stories from living abroad, and i have a feeling you work where my dad does.
i’ve tagged you on my blog. sorry, i had to find out more about you. i’m a bit of a blog-stalker. A blalker. hee.
You get an A+ on your last paragraph from me. But you probably knew that.
J