We’re not supposed to question romantic love. If we do we are cynics, or worse, bitter. But when it comes to the strange marriage of romance and capitalism, it’s time to ask why capitalism, especially neoliberal capitalism, convinces us to invest in private futures of “happily ever after” rather than the collective solutions that are now necessary for our survival.

Laurie Essig teaches at Middlebury College. Her most recent book was American Plastic: Credit Cards, Boob Jobs and Our Quest for Perfection (Beacon, 2010). Essig writes for a variety of publications including the Washington Post, the New York Times, and currently as a blogger at Psychology Today. Her current book project is Love, Inc.: The strange marriage of romance and capitalism.

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