Fun with Classification

Here's something I found on advice.eharmony.com. The topic is similar to my subject, which is bad breakups. I love the idea of looking at different types of relationships and breakups. It's something anyone can relate to and I like to find the humor in something that's not always funny.

This celebrity relationships piece does a nice job of breaking down the four categories with real examples. I don't think anyone should really use these kinds of comparisons to celebrity couples to analyze their personal relationships, but it's fun to think about how you fit into these types and what couple you and your mate are most similar to. It'd be cool to see this as a designed print spread.


Celebrity Relationships

Admit it: you may be obsessed with the tawdry – and even the tame – details of celebrity couples. We live vicariously through the ups and downs of famous relationships. Under the looking glass of the public, the love lives of luminaries are on display. Yes, these popular partners are people, too, and their lives actually parallel our own, at least when it comes to love. What celeb couple does your relationship mirror the most?

Bridging the Age Gap
Several stars are romancing their elders and still going strong. Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones share a 25-year age difference, while Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher note a 15-year deviation. Much has been made of the age inequality in these couples, as each of the elders have children closer in age to their beloved. It’s true, generational gaps must appear at times in these age-blind cases, but it’s a good sign that these lovers can look past the superficial number of years on Earth. May–December couples must beware of the parent-child relationship, but can also delight in the complementary blend of age’s experience with the vigor of youth.

Low-Profile Partnerships
Healthy celebrity coupledom is sometimes attributed to a pair’s ability to keep low-key about the ins and outs of their durable interdependence. It’s evident when celebs put their relationship and family first, before their careers. Some couples who seem to exhibit the successful low-profile formula are Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, John Travolta and Kelly Preston, and Julia Roberts and Danny Moder. With children to hold it all down, these couples seem to focus on their family, their values, and their work together both on and off the stage.

Crazy Connection
Passionate pairs have always been the most fun to watch, but rather than proving true love, these types of poisoned lovers act more often as enablers than saviors. The truth is, while opposites may attract, they usually get converted. The relationship of songbird Amy Winehouse and Blake Fielder-Civil exhibits a maniacal love affair that drips with drama. Kate Moss and Pete Doherty have their own share of public scandal ranging from drug use to jail time. Perhaps your mate isn’t partaking in illegal affairs, but your partner’s behavior may be just as toxic.

Happily Unmarried
Some superstar sweethearts cherish their unconventional deep-seated commitments. Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn have been together for nearly 25 years; they had been married and divorced from other people, and now seem to enjoy the boyfriend-girlfriend title. Goldie points out that she likes the notion of being his girlfriend and deems it sexier. She maintains that the union of their hearts doesn’t need a piece of paper to validate it. Rocker Gene Simmons and actress Shannon Tweed have been together for 23 years, and Simmons makes no apologies for his unwedded bliss. Convinced that it isn’t broken so why fix it, he boasts that his long-term partnership has continued to outlast those of other traditionally tied celebs.

Stealing the Spotlight
Being eclipsed by a loved one who enjoys widespread professional success can sometimes be hard to take without resentment and jealousy, but some squeezes are happy being the wind beneath their sweetheart’s wings. The queen of daytime television, Oprah Winfrey, and her long-standing love, Stedman Graham, have been able to prosper for nearly 20 years. Stedman has been building his own life brand as a successful businessman, public speaker, and author, proving he’s more than just Oprah’s guy. Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, married more than 11 years, started as a marriage of professional equals. While Kelly has catapulted to stardom, Mark is fulfilled with less-than-famous roles. Staying busy with occasional guest roles and Mr. Mom duties, he has gracefully encouraged his girl to stand out. Allowing your other half to shine in the spotlight while taking a backseat exhibits confidence, trust, and your sincere wishes for very best for your dearest.

Celebrity couples have triumphs and agonies, successes and failures with marriage and divorce. Although fame highlights the lives of the stars, most don’t pretend to be poster children for successful relationships. Perhaps from the examples of others we can learn to balance our own prosperous partnerships. While the lives of others may always intrigue us, it is clear that Hollywood love affairs simply mirror those of us who are not in the public eye.