“What’s Love Got To Do With It?” Anjula Razdan

               Anjula Razdan wrote an article titled “What’s Love Got To Do With It?” in this article she talks about the differences of marriage from different cultures.  She uses her parents, who are product of an arranged marriage as an example.  They were originally from India where grandfathers would chose fit partners for their grandchildren.  She places this in contrast with the western romantic love or that of the US in the twenty first century.  Although Razdan herself likes the concept of western romantic love a lot she goes on to cite others and what they think.  She adds in that arranged marriages tent to work out more than the typical marriage in the US.  Razdan explains this by citing in het text “People don’t really know how to choose a long-term partner,” offers Dr. Alvin Cooper, the director of the San Jose Marital Services and Sexuality Centre and a staff psychologist at Stanford University. “The major reasons that people find and get involved with somebody else are proximity and physical attraction. And both of these factors are terrible predictors of long-term happiness in a relationship.” This is mainly attributed to the fact that many people use the media partials of a couple “living happily ever after”.  Whereas arranged marriages neglect lust and can find better compatibility of the two people.  This is shown because divorce rate is very high in the US and very low in India.  She goes on to talk about how online dating services can help to cut down this divorce rate because they act as the grandfathers in India arranging marriages.

               I agree with what Razdan is saying but only to an extent.  The culture differences must also be taken account for where in the US it is perfectly acceptable to get a divorce remarry.  In India it is not as acceptable compared to the US to be divorced.  I agree with the point that the public’s view on marriage is distorted my media and pined to a very high standard where everything is perfect.  This is very rare that things work out in real life like they are portrayed in the media.  Also I feel that it is hard to find someone who is right for the other.  However, by meeting more people one can expand their horizons and better chose someone they think is right.  Online dating can defiantly aid in this proses.

               Growing up in the US I see many things that are all sex related, whether it be an ad for any type of merchandise, a TV program or a movie.  It creates an image of perfection in my mind.  So it seems easy to connect these ideas that someone could be unsatisfied with their marriage because there partner is not perfect in every way possible.  Overall I think Razadan discusses some great points, and brings to thought many things commonly overlooked and put in one’s subconscious.