The state of the the union: Marriage and money

Most American girls have the same dream of finding their Prince Charming, getting married, having children, and living happily ever after. A woman's wedding is usually the happiest day of her life. In that moment, everything will seem perfect for her: the dress, the flowers, the presents, and everyone gushing all over here like she is a Princess. What most people don't tell us is that the marriage is usually nothing like the wedding. While the wedding day is filled with bells and whistles, the marriage is usually filled with dirty laundry, sick kids, and mounds and mounds of debt. Americans have begun to live way outside of their means, and most of us are only a paycheck away from being homeless.

With the increased exposure of Reality TV stars, the emphasis on money, glitz, and glam is silently ruining our children's futures. My opinion is that the use of the word 'reality' is in fact a pun on words. Though there are cameras there constantly filming their every move, most of the time there is nothing real about it at all. People are naturally inclined to be more aware of their actions when a camera is stuck in their face. Its Psychology 101-the easiest predictor of human character.

To say that money is the root of all evil is probably an understatement. Instead the phrase should read “Money is the root of all evil, the backdoor to hell, and the sliding board to disgust”. Money is the #1 issue in which most married couples argue. Perhaps the coverage of money issues is the only thing real about Reality TV. We have watched couples from most of the Real Housewives franchises argue and fall apart because of money. We’ve seen Tamra, Lynn, Jeana, Teresa, Danielle, Lisa, Nene, and Sheree all battle their financial woes. The Real Housewives of DC’s Michaele (one half of the infamous White House dinner crashers) and her husband are reported to be in debt up to their eyeballs. I’m assuming that as the show airs more of their financial battles will be made public.

Leave it to these women to try and convince everyone that their perfect little lives are filled with champagne brunch, caviar facials, and waterfalls that spout out gold coins by the hour. Unfortunately for them, they all eventually get exposed and a bit of reality finally emerges and rises to the surface. The truth is that many of these women live way above their means and amass a tremendous amount of debt trying to convince the world that they are royalty. In a few instances we have seen how this issue has the potential to ruin a marriage. Real Housewives of OC’s Lynn Curtain almost left her husband due to his dishonesty about their finances. When Lynn was served with eviction papers and realized that she may not be able to indulge in weekly Botox parties with her “friends” she panicked.

I am very curious to know what goes on behind closed doors with the other housewives who face financial peril. While no one wants to live their life in a cardboard box running from creditors, you have to wonder how strong these marriages are if they fall apart at the first sign of financial trouble. You also have to wonder at what point do both parties in the marriage decide to take responsibility for the downfall. I sincerely hope that the viewers of Reality TV do not adopt the same principles as our shallow TV stars. A few more decades of their superficial financially motivated partnerships and the healthy existence of marriage will absolutely be a rarity.