Opinion

I called this divorce ad ‘evil’. Was I right?

By 2024-12-11T11:46:00

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Divorce is being presented as a “kind” option on adverts spotted on the London tube, but Glen Scrivener says trampling across the sanctity of marriage in the service of mere convenience is far from kind

It’s not very “on brand” for me - a single word post on X (better known as Twitter).

“Evil” I typed and hit send, having just photographed a new London Underground advertisement for Amicable, an online service which boasts: “We make divorce kinder and simpler.”

Was “evil” the right word to use? I don’t know. That’s what this article is about - inviting you into my tangled thoughts as I try to process it all. Lucky you! 

The ad is presented as a simple flow chart. We begin with a question: “What to say to help your son through a divorce”. Option 1 takes you to a family picture: grandma with the two children. It’s captioned with the text “Stay together for the kids.” That’s what grandma could send her son. But that option is rejected, a red cross placed next to it. Instead grandma, (as well as all the other commuters on the Northern Line), are encouraged to take option 2: “Tell him about Amicable.” There is no picture associated with option 2. There’s just a “kind” and “simple” solution: divorce. 

What struck me, almost physically, was the tragic beauty of option 1 - the family scene in the picture - coupled with the cold simplicity of the decision tree. Option 1 is wrong, apparently, however right it looks. Option 2 is approved. Like a Disneyland ride, we are carried past the family installation, glimpsing it briefly, before the track takes a sudden turn and we are plunged down into a different reality. And all the signage reassures us we’re doing the right thing as we are led inexorably away from the commitment of marriage and the bonds of family. 

Follow these simple steps, say Amicable. A solution is at hand. Resist the pull of family - resist it from your mother, resist it from your son and daughter, resist whatever pull may remain from your wife. Instead, expedite the divorce. It’s kinder. It’s simpler. Make a clean break, we’ll take care of it all. 

Let me affirm some vital truths: I believe there are biblical grounds for divorce. There are…