Divorce Selfies, Divorce Resort Packages—Is This Some Weird Sign of the Times? 


In the past week I have seen two completely bizarre items related to divorce.

First, it was this “divorce selfie,” as it’s come to be known, which went viral after the ex-groom posted it to his Instagram account. And then, I saw that this popular wedding venue, the Gideon Putnam Resort in upstate New York, has just started offering “divorce packages,” which, what?

It definitely took us a little bit to process the fact that couples are now starting to add things like “social media clauses” to their prenups in this day and age (which is a most definite sign of the times)—but at least prenups themselves are nothing new. Are we about to see a whole new slew of businesses, services and trends emerge that cater to and connote couples wanting to get a super casual, hey-this-is-NBD divorce?

My very first knee-jerk reaction to the selfie was ew, but then, you know, once I read the different media spots on it, I decided that actually, the attitude behind it (they’re having a very amicable, smooth, friendly split) was pretty great—it wasn’t the kind of “picture or it didn’t happen” mentality that is behind so many shots posted on social media these days. It would be fantastic if everyone’s split went down like that, honestly—so who knows. If the “divorce selfie” becomes a thing, maybe it’s a good thing? Because it’ll point to examples of how breakups, if they must happen, can happen in a loving and respectful way? (I’m actually asking. I haven’t worked out all my feelings on this.)

The “divorce package” at the resort strikes me as a bit more ick, just because it doesn’t indicate any kind of necessarily admirable attitude towards one of life’s sadder occurrences—it just seems like it’s a way for the hotel to make money by filling this particular need of people who wish to get divorced tout de suite. It’s to this that I had the stronger reaction of: I hope more things like this don’t start popping up. Unlike the selfie, this gives me the feeling that divorce could be starting to be perceived in a cavalier way in our society, and it shouldn’t. It shouldn’t ever.

So, I guess we’ll have to see. And cross our fingers that either way, “divorce” is never a word we too often read in the headlines.

RELATED: Just So You Know, Social Media Clauses in Prenups Are Now Becoming a Thing 

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