Popping the Question: Realistic Proposals Make for Better Marriages

Things have definitely gotten out of hand. In the ever-growing pissing contest of which man can come up with the better, "Will You…", even Tom Cruise proposing to Katie Holmes on top of the Eiffel Tower seems low-key and somewhat classy. No, it doesn't live up to the icy spark of Seal's proposal to Heidi Klum (I don't care how much money you have, building an igloo on a Canadian mountain top for the express purpose of proposing is over the top) but it does hold some element of romance. Cliché, yes, but romantic, too.

Chicago Tribune advice columnist, Amy Dickinson, summed up today's proposals in a perfect tongue-in-cheek manner, "Special is one thing, and a Vegas floor show is another. These proposals have absolutely no stake in the marriage. The energy we put into them is in inverse proportion to the depth of the relationship and the chance the marriage will succeed."

If we look back, we can see where this trend began. Brides have taken over the wedding-planning responsibilities. The proposal is akin to Man's Last Stand, his chance to make a statement, of telling the world, "I'm exceptional, because I found an exceptional way to propose." Like any male-dominated event, the proposal quickly escalated into a high-priced one-upping contest. When the first man flew his proposal on the back of an airplane, the game was on.

And you're right - I'm a woman, a girl, someone who will not be on bended knee anytime soon. So just a word from a female before we go on? I want a fairytale proposal, leading to a fairytale wedding, and the fairytale "Happily Ever After"… but not an overblown affair with strangers ogling what should be a beautiful, private moment between me and my man.