Breakup Bashing

So, I don't want to turn this blog into any kind of celebrity dirt site or anything, but I want to talk about something that really bugs me.  Hopefully it bugs you too, and we can have a rip roaring conversation about it.

Tonight I was watching one of my mindless guilty pleasures, "Chelsea Lately," a late night celebrity gossip show combined with an actual "celebrity" interview.  The quotations are necessary because of the caliber of guests who appear on the show, for example, tonight's guest is Roseanne Barr.  See...quotations.  Anyway.  During the celebrity gossip roundtable, host Chelsea Handler started a discussion about Camille Grammer and her recent appearance on The Howard Stern Show.  While talking to the radio show, Grammer expounded on private details about her relationship and marriage to actor, Kelsey Grammer.  And by details, I really mean too much information.  She willingly shared that her ex-husband has a propensity to wear women's clothing and a lack of interest in a physical relationship with her. 

As much as this isn't uncommon, it hit me for some reason while watching this completely  meaningless show.  Why does a breakup automatically entitle people to share entirely too much information about their previous significant other?  It's downright frightening!  And celebrities aren't the only guilty parties!  How many times have you seen ex-bashing on Facebook? 

I know that Camille Grammer in no way should stand for the average American woman responding to a breakup.  She's desperately trying to achieve something beyond her fifteen minutes granted through her appearance on the Real Housewives of wherever the heck she lives.  And honestly, before two days ago, I didn't even know she existed on this planet, and I'm moderately up-to-date with pop culture.  I can't keep the names of the Kardashians straight, but I know the important stuff.  I don't know the details of their breakup either, but unless Kelsey Grammer beat her, cheated on her or stole from her, does he deserve this treatment simply because their relationship didn't work out?  I'm not necessarily on his team because from what I've heard through various sources and from the man himself, his treatment of women seems usually less than gentlemanly (and I learned my lesson picking sides during the Team Jon vs. Team Kate showdown), but why has this become commonplace following dissolution of relationships?  At some point, these two people thought (hopefully) that they were going to spend the rest of their lives together.  They thought that there was no one else on the planet better suited to be their partner in life.  Then, all of a sudden, the tables turn and out come the insult guns, loaded and cocked.  If the other person is so horrible now, did you even know him/her well enough to get married in the first place?

Maybe I'm idealistic and overly romantic.  Maybe I don't know the true depth of a breakup because I haven't really had to experience one of my own.  Thankfully.  Maybe I don't know how a deep enough hurt can make the worst come out in a person.  But, I hope that I'd be mature enough to keep my personal issues off the internet and respect the other person.  Bashing them isn't going to make them come running back to me or change the situation.  Move on, Camille and salvage whatever self-respect you may have left after your jaunt as a "real housewife."

Post-Post Writer's Note:  Apparently, Goldie Hawn's ex, Bill Hudson is no better.  Check it out.