The Magazine America Needs

[jmowreader]

In http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x5760507, DU's NewWaveChick1981 describes a wedding that the House of Windsor would have been embarrassed to stage.

Interspersed in the replies are a lot of "the divorce is gonna come real soon now," including my prediction on the exact date of that less-than-blessed event. (In case you're wondering: in North Carolina, the law pertaining to no-fault divorces requires that the couple live separately for one year prior to the date of the final decree being handed down...so I figured "she'll throw his ass out in about two months...")

Yesterday I went to the bookstore to get a copy of Modern Drummer magazine (I love the LTTE that whine about them not putting enough stories about jazz drummers in the book) and noticed the display of Wedding Magazines. These things are fucking huge, man, we're talking 1200-page books with EVERYTHING a woman would ever want to know about getting married for less than the price of a house in Fayetteville. How to pick out a dress. Dressing your wedding party. How to hire a baker. A florist. The stylists you need for your Special Day. Honeymoon destinations. Everything.

Except...

there wasn't a damn thing in any of those books about how to BE married.

Oh, there are books in bookstores on how to be married, but they're ads for Christianity. You become a Christian, say these books, and Jesus will make your marriage strong and long-lasting. Never mind the fact that the group with the highest divorce rate in America is the Southern Baptist Convention...Jesus will give you a strong marriage if you follow him.

The Magazine America Needs is a nice, breezy, SECULAR book on being married. I know it would sell--Parents Magazine and Parenting Magazine both sell well, and they're similar in their focus: how to be a parent.

Oh, you have GOT to see this Photoshop creation from Parenting's website:



A baby being injected in the arm, and looking happy while it's being done? I don't think so!

A magazine on married life would sell well.

[lizziegrace]

1. I agree it's needed

But I don't believe it would sell well. The fantasy is being sold and there's no place for the reality of debt, children, lack of sleep, lack of attention and day to day struggles in a marriage. Marriage can be wonderful, but like life, it's not perfect all the time. The wedding on the other hand... Besides, who wants to think such negative things. :sarcasm:

Please don't get me wrong. I'd re-marry in a heartbeat if the right person came along who was willing to put in the effort to have a good marriage, not the perfect wedding.

:)

[jmowreader]

2. Which explains why "how to parent your kids" mags don't sell, correct?

I figure that if Parents magazine sells, Marriage magazine would probably sell too.

[lizziegrace]

3. These are just my opinions

No guide comes with a baby. I read those magazines out of desperation. I still believe the illusion of "happily ever after" is so strong after the wedding of the century that it would take a lot for someone to buy a marriage magazine.

Just my view from the cheap seats.