In the T.V. show Friends, one guy in the group, Ross, has gotten divorced three times! Throughout the series, everyone makes jokes about how he's that "divorce guy" or "the divorcer" (the name Ross would rather be called). The video above is just one of the many moments where his friends make fun of him as the guy who gets a million divorces. This series ran from 1994-2004, years where the divorce rate was over 4.0 and being acknowledged more on television. This scene, in particular, is a great example about how people are starting to think of divorce as a no-big-deal thing. They get married and then get divorced for whatever reasons and not really care about it. Everyone on the show making jokes about it shows society that it's a "funny" or not important thing to do. In another episode, Ross says "If you're going to call me a name, make it Ross, the divorcer," By this, Ross is making it a no-big-deal thing as well.
I think it's absolutely crazy how divorce is becoming such a nonchalant thing to do nowadays. Divorce is becoming just as common as marriage. WHY is this? Because of the media. There are so many movies and series about divorce (portraying it as not a big thing). We also see so many celebrities get married and then divorced a week later, and people on TV shows, like on Friends, making jokes about it or doing the same exact thing. By portraying this "not-a-big-deal" attitude about divorce in these ways, the message is clear to viewers and they develop the same attitude toward divorce.
I definitely agree that the media has influenced us to believe that divorce is not a big deal. It is really common to hear of celebrities getting divorced. I think people today are so used to hearing of divorce that it has become less of an unusual occurrence. Of course, I'm sure it is really difficult to go through a divorce or witness a divorce; however, it is seen more as a real option for people these days than it may have been in the past.
ReplyDeleteI used to watch this show a lot and I never really thought about how the show was making divorce seem like not a big deal, but it is. I would laugh at the fact that Ross had been divorced so many times, but really that is quite shocking. Marriage is a big deal and so is divorce, and both should be taken seriously. The media seems to do this a lot, making divorce seem insignifcant and funny, but it is a real issue and the fact that the divorce rate has gone up is a topic that should be taken seriously.
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