Ugly Divorces for All to See

It seems with the prominence of the Internet in our lives, the lines between public and private spheres are becoming increasingly blurred. Divorce stories and other marital sagas, once reserved for private conversation, have now become topics for discussion throughout the Internet, in places ranging from YouTube to personal blogs.

The New York Times recently ran an article entitled When the Ex Blogs, the Dirtiest Laundry is Aired. The story covers several women whose blogs have featured in-depth discussion of their divorces. While their intended readership may have been only close friends, the Times notes the blogs have a way of spreading quite rapidly.

Tricia Walsh Smith, a British actress living in New York, where marriages may only be ended with just cause, has used YouTube to present her case for divorce. Her video rant revealed embarrassing and personal facts about her ex-husband, and it garnered major media attention. Walsh Smith has since removed the video from the site, but others have kept it alive by posting archived versions of it.

Marriage horror stories have also found their way into podcasts. Two divorcees living in Manhattan, known only as Laurie and Laurie, share “their adventures in divorce” in a weekly podcast with 10,000 monthly listeners at DivorcingDaze.com.

Both divorce lawyers and psychiatrists are taking note of the sagas. While lawyers are concerned mainly to ensure confidentiality in divorces, The Times notes that psychiatrists are worried that the candid confessions might be detrimental to the development of children, who often bear feelings of guilt following the divorce of their parents.

(Image by Michael Ragsdale)