One day after NBC's ''Today'' [1] celebrated the ''end of traditional marriage,'' CBS's ''Early Show'' went even further, entertaining the view that marriage is an ''unnatural'' institution and a ''morality cage.''
CBS anchor Erica Hill teased a segment [2] on Oct. 12: ''You know, as much as we all may love a good wedding, more and more women are saying, 'I don't need one!' They're either getting married later in life, or deciding 'I'm not getting married at all.' In fact, according to one poll, nearly half of Americans under the age of 40 think marriage is becoming obsolete.''
The guests CBS brought on to discuss this trend were not shy in expressing their disdain for traditional marriage. CBS invited ''sexologist'' Logan Levkoff [3] (whose work is featured on the liberal Huffington Post [4]) and ''relationship expert'' Matt Titus [5] (who touts himself as ''the nation's top dating coach and an authority on sex love and relationships'') to discuss changing attitudes towards marriage. No mainstream voices were included.
Or, rather, give their completely feminist and left-wing spin against marriage.
Titus opened the discussion with a shot at marriage: ''Marriage is an artificial institution. I mean, it's basically a morality cage for men.''
Titus grew even more scornful: ''Think about it. Men are supposed to run around the forest and propagate the species and do it multiple times a day. Do you think that we're supposed to be with one person for the rest of our lives? It's unnatural, and if it was the case we probably would not be sitting here right now.''
Of course, the institution of marriage has existed for thousands of years, and people are still around. But perhaps Titus doesn't think modern men are capable of committing themselves to one person for life. (Which is odd, considering the fact that Titus is married [6], and that he acknowledges he hit ''rock bottom'' after committing infidelity.)
And the women on the show agreed. Indeed, the women on the show seemed to argue that men were gradually becoming unnecessary.
Levkoff chimed in: ''There's no question that marriage is a social construct that I think does not apply to everyone these days. And now that women are taking over the world, we don't need you as much.''
Hill picked up on Levkoff's anti-male theme: ''There was a time when women needed a husband. And there are so many places in the world where they do, because otherwise they can't work, they can't support their families, they can't take care of their children. They needed that financial aspect, that financial security. Well now, women take care of themselves.''
So only women stuck in the Dark Ages need marriage for financial support. Liberated modern women don't need it anymore.
Levkoff also attacked the notion of sexual morality as irrelevant: ''Women were getting married at young ages also because it legitimized their sexual desires and their sex lives, because we couldn't talk about women being sexual outside of wedlock. We don't need that anymore. We have the freedom.''
Titus was even more radical in pushing sexual irresponsibility: ''Do you really think that the genders are supposed to be together and cohabitate? I mean, men and women are so different. Once the passion is gone and the sex dies and the kids have been raised to a certain point, what's left?''
Even Levkoff and Hill were scandalized at this, interjecting: ''What about the yin and the yang?'' and ''What about companionship? What about having someone to truly grow old with?''
But Titus wouldn't relent: ''You know what, just because we all get ugly doesn't mean we have to hang onto the person we're with.''
So relationships are all about looks, and relationships should end when looks fade? From a self-touted 'nation's top dating coach) this advice rings rather shallow.
Marriage has also traditionally played a role in child-bearing and child-raising. But Levkoff attacked marriage's role in child-raising, as well: ''I'm having two kids, and it definitely takes a village, and a partner would be nice to raise a family. But with reproductive technology, women can do a lot of things on their own. We are players in the game of life, and not just child-bearers anymore.''
''It takes a village,'' of course, was the mantra of Hillary Clinton [7]. The larger community (or in actuality, the government) can take care of children - no family is needed for child-raising.
Titus then provided the logical conclusion: ''When a man can leave what he needs in a cup and a woman can take that and have a child, you know what? Men are expendable.''
Titus is correct. Men would be useless in this brave new feminist world, where commitment counts for nothing. Marriage would be rendered obsolete.
And CBS and NBC are helping to usher this world in.