>>>(I’ve been married over 30 years, and I’ve worked in offices of mostly women. I’ve been able to watch the rise of the utterly-self-absorbed, privileged-yet-perpetually-offended woman, in real time.)<<<
My observation is that feminism/the sexual revolution is a two-way street. No doubt marriage from the man’s side has declined imo. Fewer good women while the risks of a bad marriage are high.
But feminism has allowed some men to enjoy themselves in a selfish way. Men can use dating apps for quick and easy sex. That’s if they can’t find it easy enough in real life. If they do settle down, they don’t have to be burden to pay the bills. My meaning on that is simple. Look at any nice neighborhood that is in a metro area. Odds are that homes are priced too high for the typical guy to purchase on just his income. But one of the “perks” for men nowadays is that the wife usually brings home a paycheck too.
That paycheck is important to some guys. They won’t marry down because it’s that important to them.
While I think finding a good wife is extremely difficult, I would also say that finding a good man to marry for a woman is also much more difficult than in years past. I don’t think women are put off on marriage the way men are bc the family court favors them at the expense of a man. The whole “best interests of the child” dovetails almost always with the woman’s wishes.
But regardless if you’re a man or woman, finding a decent person to live a life with appears more difficult now than ever before in our country.
“But one of the “perks” for men nowadays is that the wife usually brings home a paycheck too. That paycheck is important to some guys.”
That’s true; boys’ toys are expensive. That extra paycheck is very important.
Most men love the results of feminism, especially if they’re under 55 or 60, even if they don’t realize it. They believe that it’s normal for all women to work, when it used to be normal for men to provide for the family. I remember when a husband was shamed if his wife had a job outside of the home.
My BIL was shocked when my female cousin said that she’d “never had a job”. Well... she had been a stay-at-home mom forever, but hadn’t worked outside the home. He looks at her as if she’s a slacker.