Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Honda CR-V commercial makes me grumpy

A wedding-related rant:

Has anyone seen the new Honda CR-V commercial?  A guy suggests to his girl, "Hey, you wanna get married?"  She goes off into a panic-spin about all the things she wants to accomplish before she gets married.  Supposedly, her car is going to help her do such life shattering things as learn to play the drums and hike the Appalachian trail.  She finally says "OK, but we have a lot to get done first." 

This commercial annoys the shit out of me.  It implies a whole host of things about marriage that make my blood boil.  Am I missing something?  Will I be under house arrest once I tie the knot?  If one of my life goals is to "see Mt. Rushmore", how will getting married inhibit my ability to do so?  Isn't the point of getting married that you've found someone to share your life and dreams with?  The commercial implies that all those silly goals I had when I was single better be accomplished before I get married.  I'm only allowed to want married-people things, presumably babies and antiques.  No film-making.  No flying lessons.  No band.  Those all have to get done before I get married, or be ever lost to the archives of "fun stuff you can't do anymore because you're supposed to stay home and watch the evening news while he snores in his armchair." 

There is nothing I want to do with my life that I can't do WITH Paul.  I want to learn to play guitar.  What's that?  He knows how, and can teach me?  I want to travel to Ireland.  So does he.  Not only will being married to him not stop me from going, but we'll get to experience it together.  He wants to write a fantasy novel.  I'll happily read his rough drafts and discuss character development.

I'm unreasonably annoyed by the implication that marriage all of a sudden changes your relationship.  The girl in the commercial says "WE have a lot to get done first." So she's planning on fulfilling all her life goals with her man.  Why does that have to get done before marriage?  Does marriage dissolve all sense of self, of personal goals?  What, exactly, are we supposed to be doing as husband and wife, if not the things we've dreamed together as an unmarried couple?  

For the record:  Neither of us will be forfeiting our personal goals and dreams after we sign that piece of paper.  If and when we decide to have kids, then that will realign our priorities.  But simply getting married is not the death of fun and personal growth, both together or independently. 

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