Worldview Wednesday: "I Think I Want To Divorce You"

Bruno Mars’ song “Marry You” reflects America’s devaluation of marriage and romanticization of the “one-night stand,” and yet is a very popular song in many cultures, including that of more conservative Christians (myself included). And why shouldn't it be popular? What's not to like about this cute proposal theme song which has helped many a proposal video go viral on YouTube? As much as I dislike to admit it, quite a lot actually. "Marry You" is sung from the perspective of a young man who is out drinking, presumably with his girlfriend, who decides to ask the woman to marry him. However, his marriage proposal highlight multiple flaws in his worldview and his beliefs regarding marriage and relationships.

From the start of the song, when Bruno Mars begins with these lyrics, “It's a beautiful night  / We're looking for something dumb to do / Hey baby / I think I want to marry you” a problem is apparent. While the character is the song admits the unwise nature of getting marriage without serious thought, the character is purposefully planning on doing something “dumb” simply because it is pleasurable. After making several references to drinking “shots of patron” and “dancing juice,” both alcoholic beverages, the character adds a qualifier to his proposal: “If we wake up / and you wanna break up / that's cool / No, I won't blame you / It was fun girl.” Now to add my own qualifier, I do not find the references to alcohol in and of themselves problematic. I don't think there is anything wrong with drinking alcohol in moderation; however, drinking to excess can result in lapses in judgement such as that portrayed in the song. Furthermore, the commitment-less marriage that he proposes, which is almost an oxymoron, reduces marriage to a merely romanticized version of the “one-night stand."

The implication of this worldview is very problematic, and yet few, even of those in conservative Christian circles, are troubled by the song. The reason for this is the worldview goes unnoticed behind the catchy tune and cute repetitive line, “I think I want to marry you.” However,  what are these troubling implications of accepting this worldview? Individuals may begin to view marriage even less seriously than they do now, and they will continue to increase in their acceptance toward “one-night stands.” Sex within marriage vs. outside of marriage will become no more than a matter of personal preference motivated simply by pleasure. The wisdom of marriages will not be considered, and those marriages hastily entered and even more hastily ended will pose no major concern for the individuals in the marriage. If this worldview goes viral, the culture may find itself singing along to quite a different tune: "I think I want to divorce you."