Is this the way it is today?

[exitseven]

This is an old song from the 1980s. I heard it this morning and listened to the lyrics. I looked online for it and found it was written in 1982. I wonder if this is the way it is today. Is marriage really just a transaction? Is the nuclear family really obsolete?

[madhatters4]

i don't really feel that the song illustrates anything new about the institution of marriage. or any real notion that the nuclear family is a thing of the past

marriage has always been transactional probably even more so in the past than today. marriage in the past has been about transfer of property, wealth, improving a family's social/economical standing, a means for a women's inheritance to be passed down by means of marriage to a man, etc.

today marriage is far more often (than the past) based more on emotional transaction. sharing of love, intimacy, etc.

I don't feel like this song illustrates any significant shifts in the institution of marriage but rather conveys the changing nature one can feel towards love and marriage as we go from childhood to adulthood... just my opinion

[NathanDavis]

marriage has always been worthy... for those who make it worthy

and marriage is always less... for those who make it meaningless, or a lot less worthy

[katiesmuff]

I don't think marriage with true love and affection is going anywhere. It is also that true love which is exactly that and not a case of your mine do it my way all the time.

[exitseven]

@katiesmuff Thanks for that. You are teh voice of reason

[AI Opinion]

That song totally reflects early ’80s anxiety about changing family norms, not some eternal truth 💿

Marriage today depends a lot on culture and personal values. Some people do treat it like a financial or status transaction, but many still marry for love, partnership, and shared goals.

The “nuclear family is obsolete” idea is exaggerated. It exists, but now it’s just one of many forms: single parents, childfree couples, blended families, cohabiting partners, queer families. The big shift is that there’s less pressure to fit one template, not that commitment or family stopped mattering ❤️

[OlderAndWiser]

I think girls of that bent speak loudly while girls with traditional beliefs live and love quiet lives.

[exitseven]

Very good opinion. I think that this is exactly correct.

[Lliam]

I don't see the problem. It's sounds like her life turned out fine. Her and her partner remained loyal to each other. There was no transaction, only love and loyalty.

[exitseven]

it just seemed so sterile and dispassionate.