Azzaro (and anyone else, of course) here is a pretty good article to ponder in studying the uniquely fucked-up marriage (and non direct-pay sex) scene in the USA.
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/11/all-the-single-ladies/308654/?single_page=true
Patron, thanks for linking to this article, and for your comments. It was a good read, and I think Bolick certainly is a talented writer. She has a bright career ahead of her, catering to hordes of independent single women that most likely will grow in number.
Although I mostly agreed with it, what struck me the most was her simplification of men's decisions, and what she didn't say. She praises the lifestyle of a single woman, and of breaking free of traditional thinking, but in no way does she acknowledge that a significant number of men are already there, and that this contributes to the declining # of "marriageable men". She says the good men don't commit simply because they have other options for sex. This is simply not true, but it makes sense that she either doesn't understand men, or is purposely misrepresenting to make her readership feel better about themselves, who knows. In any case, it's intellectual dishonesty, but amusing nonetheless...