"We are gathered on this most joyous occasion to witness Princess Vespa, daughter of King Roland, going right past the altar, heading down the ramp, and out the door!"

I have to ask: is the "runaway bride" story the dumbest thing to come across our major news networks in their history?

I spent a little while thinking about an angle, any angle, that puts the story in a greater context. If we must talk about it, then ponder this...

The story points to the BlueState/RedState divide in America. In this case, the divide is measured in the pressure to marry. If you're a reasonably serious couple of around 20-21 years of age in the American South, it's likely that the parents of both parties involved are bustin' down doors asking them when they're getting married. In the more secularized "blue" America, that pressure is certainly smaller, and many people have one or more committed long-term relationships before getting married. The upshot is that the state with the lowest divorce rate in America is Massachusetts, while the states with the highest rates can be found in the deep South. If you're a 32-year-old unmarried woman in Georgia? Just imagine what kind of shit you would've been put through! No wonder her situation was so weird!

Steve Gilliard is one of the few bloggers who has commented at length on the issue, here, here and here (in which he explains why he's covering it).