Vicarious Divorce
A recent New York Times article outlines a recent trend in entertainment focused on divorce. The article cites the popularity of this summer's Julia Roberts move, Eat Pray Love, and the television show Mad Men, both of which focus on divorced couples.
The public's fascination with divorce is also satisfied by more stories about celebrity family law cases. This year, People magazine has had twelve covers devoted to celebrity breakups, while celebrity marriages have only accounted for five covers.
One interesting thing to note is that during this recent upturn in family law news, actual family law cases have declined. The divorce rate in America is at a 30-year low. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention puts the current divorce rate at 3.5 per 1,000, down 8 percent in the last five years, 16 percent since 2000, and 34 percent since its peak in 1979.