Kim Kardashian’s Quickie Commercialized Wedding Hurts The Institution Of Marriage
The internet is abuzz over Kim Kardashian’s announcement that she’s filing for divorce after a short 72 days of marriage. We’ve found out how much much money she made per hour, $10,358.80. #ThingsLongerThanKimsMarriage is trending on Twitter. Plenty of us are feeling decidedly smug, watching the obvious publicity stunt of a marriage end. The reality star may have finally burned any goodwill she had from the viewing public. At least, that’s what I’m hoping.
This multi-million dollar wedding damaged more than the E! star’s popularity. Every time a huge, public sham-wedding comes to an end, it hurts the institution of marriage. These pariahs are using a very sacred commitment between two human beings to generate money, news coverage and fame. Let me tell you, as a married woman who takes her vows very seriously, watching such a gross disregard for them is infuriating.
Celebrity marriage and divorce has become a pretty tired joke. “One year in Hollywood is like one decade to the rest of us.” We’ve all heard it before. But why did we start excusing this lack of commitment or accountability? When did it become funny to go back on your word and dissolve a marriage that you promised was going to last for the rest of your life? Hollywood must have a different set of vows that I’m not aware of, because last time I checked, they didn’t have expiration dates. Unless of course you’re getting married in Mexico City, where a two-year marriage contract is available.
I realize that divorce is necessary sometimes. I believe that we’re all grown adults who need to make the choice that’s best for us. I can’t tell anyone else who or when they should marry and I have no place in suggesting that they can’t end it how they so choose. I acknowledge all of that. It’s possible to acknowledge that every individual has free will and still maintain that marriage has become less of a vow and more of a trend in our current culture, and I think there’s a problem with that.
When I was teenager, my father told me that there are no fairy tale endings in a real marriage. You don’t say “I do” and settle down in to perfect, perpetual bliss. A marriage is hard work. To make a marriage successful, you have to find a partner who love and respect, then you have to work like hell to keep your relationship strong. Maintaining that bond has to be priority in your life.
I still believe that this was one of the best lessons my father ever taught me, and he is a very wise man. After growing up together and dating in high school, they’ve been married 31 years. And they’re still just as in love as they were when I was a kid. Probably more so now that the house is empty.
These are the stories I want to talk about. I’m tired of hearing about another spoiled princess who commanded that the world should see her undying love, only to bury the thing less than three months later. I don’t care how many millions a wedding costs if it didn’t actually mean anything. When Kim talked about turning her wedding into another reality show spectacle, she said, “It was something that Kris and I were okay with, and the beauty of it is we get to edit it. It [will be] great to look back at that and see this time in our lives.” Maybe she should have worried less about the beauty of her special day and more about the meaning behind it.
Marriage isn’t a joke. It’s not a production. It’s not even about being pretty. It’s a lifelong commitment to another person, to love and support them forever. It’s amazing that anyone could cheapen something by spending millions of dollars on it, but Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries managed to do just that.
