As I watched a really awful Matthew McConaughy movie that was supposed to critique the emptiness of not getting married. The message of the movie was both predictable and raunchy, with the main character sleeping with each of the bridesmaids (in addition to hundreds or thousands of other women). On top of that, the groom had also slept with one of the bridesmaids. This almost ruined the wedding, which is kind of surprising, since sex with anyone and everyone seemed to be acceptable for basically every character--the people who are probably better off avoiding marriage.

Young men and women who get into relationships in high school or college can get married. Young men and women who sleep around their entire adult lives until marriage can also get married, but this movie was a good reminder of why some of them maybe shouldn’t. It was certainly a good reminder of how tainted Hollywood’s view of the institution of marriage has become. Or perhaps it’s society’s reality reflected by movies. Anyone who could relate to pretty much any character in the film would likely be disappointed with marriage. And anyone who actually liked the movie would probably be in a similar predicament. I’m not a me-snob that thinks every story has to relate to me or even reality, but when the change that is made only makes the main character as good as the other horribly flawed characters (who should also avoid marriage at all cost), then I have to question the film. Or the institution of marriage.

And that leads to my factoid that led to this article. In a 2014 study, a Pew Report predicted that 25% of today’s young adults would reach 50 years old without having been married. This 25% is the target audience for a film like this, and those people will figure out that it’s all going to work out fine in the end. But, assuming you were married well before 50, could you imagine being an individual that long and then suddenly get married? Just in time for health issues and grandkids (even without marriage, there’s still going to be kids). Like that will last. Hopefully, this kind of romantic comedy won't last, either.