It is a cycle as predictable as the sun rising and setting: Whenever feminism gains some social traction, the mainstream media reacts by amplifying a bunch of conservative messages about the alleged "dangers" of women having too much independence. In the wake of the post-Dobbs feminist uprising, we've been subjected to a deluge of hand-wringing articles about how feminism supposedly ushered in all these social evils, from male loneliness to child poverty. The cure that is invariably implied, if not outright demanded: Women are expected to lower their dating standards and get married, ideally sooner rather than later.
Alas, for those touting the "get married young!" message this past week, things got a little hairy. The GOP's most famous exemplar of youthful marriage, 36-year-old Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, got caught publicly engaging in what traditionalists call "heavy petting" with her bar-owning date, before getting kicked out of a staging of "Beetlejuice: The Musical." Initially, Boebert had denied any wrongdoing, saying she was ejected for mere exuberance. Once the video of her vaping and putting her hands in her companion's crotch came out, however, she released a statement saying, "I simply fell short of my values."
