Life is Short. Have an Affair

That is the tagline for a website called Ashley Madison that specializes in putting people who are otherwise attached together with other people who are otherwise attached but don't feel that is a binding commitment.  In fact, Ashley Madison guarantees its patrons will successfully find an affair partner.

Now, I'm not at all in a position to throw stones.  I tossed a marriage away over a long-term series of adventures off the ranch.  It's not something I'm proud of, but there is is.  I've finally become convinced it's not the way to go.  Not in time to save a marriage of 24 years to a womaan who had far fewer faults than I and put up with a lot more than I ever had to.  But I have come to understand that affairs are invariably hurtful and destructive and they cause far more trouble down the road than admitting there is a problem in a marriage and either working it out or moving on.

All that is my opinion.  Like I said, I've been there myself.  Your mileage may vary.  I'm sure there are people out there for whom Ashley Madison is a godsend and for whom getting caught only means that one has not been adequately discreet.

But...

Ashley Madison running a Superbowl ad?  Let us pause for a moment to think about what that says about our culture.  Marital fidelity is such a shop-worn concept that we are willing to accept an advertisement in favor of forsaking marital bounds on one of the most widely-watched television events of the year.

The advertiser and the marketing people at Ashley Madison must have felt this would not be viewed as a big deal by the viewing public.  In fact, they must have believed that the ad itself and the buzz caused by it will generate enough new revenue to justify the massive cost of a superbowl spot.

There thinking has to be underlied by a belief that we are a society of cheaters and those who ignore it if not condone it.  Even if the ad was banned and didn't run, the fact that it was considered and hit the web along with all the other Superbowl ads still speaks volumes.