The only proviso is when SHE doesn’t know he cheating. Then she’s been used and it’s not her fault. But when she knows she’s complicit, of course she shares some blame. There’s no getting around that. He might have cheated elsewhere, sure, but since he’s cheating exactly right there, how is it not passing the buck?

I also really hate stupid people, and a celebrity who KNOWS that the media goes rabid over them and still takes such a huge risk by cheating in public qualifies as stupid, so I’d have no moral qualms about making a few bucks off his stupidity.

Y HALO THAR MISOGYNY

I mean, jeez Louise. Poor innocent married Brad, forced to cheat on his wife…

I wouldn’t have a thing with anyone who was in a monogamous marriage. But I think that the person who’s breaking agreements they made is doing something even worse than the person who’s showing disrespect for agreements they weren’t party to.

As for the other thing, it would depend. If it was somewhere behind the bushes at a movie premiere, I might be tempted to go for the paparazzo moment, because Pitt would be “on the clock” so to speak, and so documenting his unprofessionalism might feel more appropriate.

If it was somewhere where he was in a “civilian” role, I wouldn’t photograph it, because people deserve privacy when they’re not actively courting the spotlight.

But I totally disagree that an individual is without fault if they have a relationship with someone who they know is married, or in a committed relationship. I’ve had that discussion with a close friend who was having an affair with a married man, and I understand – I think – that pov: it’s just never going to be my pov.

In which case, yes, I’d take the photo and I’d take the checks the papers gave me for said photo. And a couple months later Brad would get back with Jennifer and Angelina would adopt another dozen kids from a third world country or something and the world would keep on spinning.

If Angelina believes – and who knows what she believes IRL – that she didn’t have any responsibility towards Brad and Jen’s marriage, because she didn’t take any vows – then, if you turn that into a universal moral principle – she must believe that I don’t have any responsibilty to her relationship with Brad, because I didn’t take any vows

Marianne, my problem was that you pointed out her lack of respect for his previous marriage. My point is that I’m always hearing people bash her, and the real blame lies with him. He’s the one who chose to end his marriage. We don’t know the truth of what happened. We weren’t there, we weren’t involved. But it’s not on her. It’s on him.

If I’m in a relationship, married or otherwise, and I’ve made a commitment to someone, then it’s on me to uphold that commitment. If I cheat on someone, even if the other person knows I’m in a relationship, the blame of that still falls completly on me.

There’s little legal things like insurance, property rights, medical decisions (ie: wouldn’t be able to visit in a hospital, or have any say in disposition).

If that’s the way you feel, then fine. It works for you. It doesn’t work for me, and others like me. I personally feel that insurance is a lousy reason to get married, property rights can be worked around, and there’s this little thing called Medical Power of Attorney to guarentee your right to make decisions for your partner. I know, because my best friend has one for me. I don’t trust my parents to do what I want, so I put her in charge of it. I’m sure I will someday put a partner/significant other in charge of it with a MPoA. It can all be dealt with. For me, the goverment in no ways needs to be involved in my relationship.

That is not to say that I don’t appreciate that there are people who wish to be married. It is very imporant to them. I understand and appreicate it. I fully support gay marriage, because the right is so important to them. But it doesn’t discount those of us who feel differently. A couple who has been married for ten years is no more committed or valued than a couple who has been together for ten years without marriage.

My problem with your statement, Emmy, is that you completely discounted and devalued their relationship, seemingly because it’s not what you believe people should do. They don’t see the need to get married. I understand that. Neither do I. But it doesn’t mean than those of us who are not married love our partners less than you love your husband.