The recently announced split of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt after two years of marriage raises, yet again, the question of what a couple signs up for when they tie the knot. The form & content of marriage – and relationships in general – have been in a state of flux since the 1960s. Presciently Richard Harris would sing MacArthur Park in 1968 about melting of the icing of the cake because
“Someone left the cake out in the rain….
And I’ll never have that recipe again”
(The meaning of these surreal lyrics by Jimmy Webb is available at the end of the blog)
Custom, duty or need to procreate would no longer produce the ideal ingredients for marriage ever again. However, would the idealised sugary sweet ingredient “happy-ever-after” be an adequate substitute?
If not, what would?
Main picture: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt
