Today is Valentine’s Day, a light, fun day to celebrate romantic love. Couples will be enjoying flowers, a special dinner, and setting aside some time to appreciate each other, but these people want you to know that they are just a little too good for such pedestrian things as celebrating romantic relationships and Valentine’s Day.
1. Natalie Brooke, Author of Getting Married is Not an Accomplishment (Huffington Post)
In my opinion, getting married should never be put in a higher regard than the academic and professional successes that women work hard to attain. You don’t have to have a brain, drive or special skill set to get married. You just have to have a willing partner. However, getting into X school, graduating with Y degree, and landing Z job does require actual hard work.
You hear that? Relationships aren’t work, and we should be defined by our job and education rather than the people with whom we spend our time (and, more importantly, who think we are people with whom they think it’s worth spending their time).
2. AEON, editor of RawStory.com and author of How a Hackneyed Romantic Ideal is Used to Stigmatize Polyamory at PsyPost.
This is unsurprising: in a patriarchal society with property inheritance passing along the male line, paternity is key, and enforced female monogamy is an effective way to control it.
You’re faithful to your husband? That’s cute, you willing pawn of the patriarchy.
3. Pretty much everyone on this hashtag
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Not without a control group and ethical approval. #AcademicValentine
— Alex Mold (@alexnmold) February 14, 2017
4. Katherine Martinko, author of Don’t Rush Out to Buy a Last-Minute Valentine’s Day Gift at Treehugger
How, where, and by whom a gift is made, how it is packaged, how it is meant to be used, and how it will be disposed of eventually are all important considerations, even if they’re total mood-killers. Nobody wants to be thinking about child slavery when buying a diamond or a box of chocolates; ocean pollution when purchasing plastic-wrapped bouquet of roses; chemical poisoning of flower workers when selecting fragrant blooms; or landfill sites when selecting a cute teddy bear. And yet, these are questions we all need to be asking ourselves.
You’re right. Nobody wants to think about that (OK the blood diamond one is fair).
5. All of your friends who are posting that they don’t need a special day to say they love their partners. We get it, you’re no fun.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member