MSN's 'Living' page included an ode to the sexual revolution in their slideshow list of "25 rules that no longer apply." The anonymous writer trumpeted that these "rules, once widely accepted...are no longer relevant," and included "no sex before marriage," "gay people can't get married," and "unmarried couples shouldn't live together."
Most of the rest of their list was mundane, such as "men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses" and "brides should always wear white." The compilation also included "marijuana is bad" and "real men don't get manis," in addition to the three sex-centered "rules."
"No sex before marriage" was second on MSN's list, and the unknown author outlined that "some people are still adamant about this rule, often on religious grounds, but the majority no longer views premarital sex as immoral." The writer also made a questionable extrapolation from an almost decade-old study:
Yet while attitudes may have changed, behavior hasn't. According to a study published in 2006, almost all Americans have sex before marriage—and always have, at least as far back as the data goes—leading researchers to question whether any period of significant premarital chastity ever really existed.
Despite including cancer in that list, there was no mention that NIH director Francis Collins recently "voiced concerns" about the trend towards marijuana legalization, and pointed to "studies [which] have shown that prolonged use of the drug by teenagers can lead to permanent decline in cognitive ability, and the possible contribution of pot smoke to lung cancer is unknown."
"Gay people can't get married" was 22nd on the list, and the writer took on part of the slogan of the 2008 Obama presidential campaign in a three-sentence commentary:
Although there are many places where this rule still applies, an increasing number of states are authorizing same-sex marriages. It's still a controversial issue, with both political and religious overtones, so the debate is likely to continue for some time. But change is coming.
Two entries later, the MSN author took on "unmarried couples shouldn't live together:"
Before 1970, it was illegal for unmarried couples to cohabitate in the United States. People did it anyway, of course, and most communities looked the other way. But since the law changed, cohabitation has become increasingly common. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of unmarried couples living together increased tenfold between 1960 and 2000, and that trend continues to grow every year.
