Scarlett Johansson has never been one to back away from speaking out about how the world works. She's been a vocal advocate for Barack Obama twice and Hillary Clinton once. She's spoken about her experience with Planned Parenthood at 15. And now, she's going through a divorce and raising a two-year-old while starring in a seemingly endless slate of blockbusters. She'll be the first to say that she's "barely holding it together."
Speaking with Playboy, Johansson says that's she's not sure monogamy is natural. As the veteran of two marriages, she would know.
"Well, with every gain there’s a loss, right?" Johansson tells Playboy. "So that’s a loss. You have to choose a path. I think the idea of marriage is very romantic; it’s a beautiful idea, and the practice of it can be a very beautiful thing. I don’t think it’s natural to be a monogamous person. I might be skewered for that, but I think it’s work. It’s a lot of work. And the fact that it is such work for so many people — for everyone — the fact of that proves that it is not a natural thing. It’s something I have a lot of respect for and have participated in, but I think it definitely goes against some instinct to look beyond."
Lots of people agree with her sentiment. Iconic sex writer Dan Savage coined the term "monogamish" in his column. Basically, he argues that safe, consensual non-monogamy is a perfectly normal way of conducting things. The couples he writes about have ground rules, respect each others' boundaries, and don't go around cheating at every opportunity. There's no perfect solution to any relationship. Every person is different, every relationship is different, but it's worth having an honest and open conversation about how you really feel.
Shit, following Johansson's lead is never a bad idea in any area.
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