Anti-marriage Sentiment Backfires, Leaving Single Women at a Loss
WHO:
New York Post - Columnist Ingrid Jacques discusses the anti-marriage movement and its impact on women.
New York Post - Cultural figures mentioned include Elizabeth Gilbert and Emily Ratajkowski.
New York Post - Comedian Leslie Jones criticized marriage in a public statement.
WHAT:
New York Post - A rising wave of “heteropessimism” is defined as women’s growing feelings of disappointment and antagonism toward relationships with men.
New York Post - Studies indicate that married women are happier, live longer, and earn more than single women.
New York Post - The book “Yesteryear” is described as a bestselling novel that portrays men negatively.
New York Post - In 2025, only 47% of American households were married couples, a decline from nearly 66% 50 years prior.
New York Post - Only 37% of married households included children under age 18 in 2025, compared to 54% in 1975.
New York Post - A 2024 American Family Survey found that 37% of conservative women and 28% of moderate women aged 18-40 reported being “completely satisfied” with their lives, while only 12% of liberal women felt the same.
WHERE:
New York Post - The statistics regarding marriage and household composition are based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
WHEN:
New York Post - The U.S. Census Bureau data referenced is from December 2025.
New York Post - The 2024 American Family Survey is mentioned as a source of data.
WHY:
New York Post - Jacques links the decline in marriage rates to liberal ideology, noting that left-leaning Americans are less likely to participate in traditional family lifestyles.
New York Post - The anti-marriage sentiment is attributed to social media trends and cultural narratives that celebrate singlehood and criticize marriage.
HOW:
New York Post - The anti-marriage movement is fueled by viral TikTok trends and high-profile celebrities portraying men negatively.
New York Post - The trend includes social media phenomena like the TikTok “divorce glow up,” where women celebrate their splits with before-and-after photos.
(UPDATED July 23, 2026 05:55 UTC)
A rising wave of “heteropessimism” is sweeping through society, as women express growing disappointment and antagonism toward relationships with men, a sentiment highlighted by New York Post columnist Ingrid Jacques. This anti-marriage movement is fueled by social media trends and cultural narratives, with figures like comedian Leslie Jones and authors such as Elizabeth Gilbert and Emily Ratajkowski contributing to the conversation. Recent statistics reveal that in 2025, only 47% of American households were married couples, a significant decline from nearly 66% fifty years earlier, while studies indicate that married women tend to be happier, live longer, and earn more than their single counterparts.