What is a "naked marriage"? It means not buying a house, not buying a car, not holding a wedding ceremony, and not purchasing a wedding ring. Aside from spending nine yuan to register at the civil affairs office for a red marriage certificate, everything else can be skipped. The term "naked marriage" was born under the backdrop of the 2008 global financial crisis, and the constantly rising housing prices in 2009 accelerated its popularity. Some netizens commented: "Naked marriage" is the new fashion bestowed upon white-collar workers by high housing prices.
In the drama "Naked Marriage Era," seventy percent of women believe that "naked marriage" is unreliable. How many people would accept a marriage without a house or a car? On New Year's Day this year, 800 couples in Guangzhou received their marriage certificates. At the Yuexiu District Civil Affairs Bureau, Ms. Wu from Guangzhou was full of joy but also had some realistic concerns when she registered on New Year's Day: a 20-yuan fee for taking photos, and a 9-yuan fee for registering, making the legal cost of getting married relatively low. However, in reality, the price of houses in Guangzhou has long surpassed ten thousand yuan per square meter, a wedding banquet costs several tens of thousands of yuan, a diamond ring costs over ten thousand yuan, and even wedding photos, which are considered the most budget-friendly, still cost several thousand yuan... Getting married requires more than just starting funds; it merely grants the qualification to become a "mortgage slave" after marriage.
Ms. Wu was lucky because with her parents' help, she managed to buy a small second-hand apartment in Panyu through a mortgage. The young couple could use their savings to hold an acceptable wedding banquet. In comparison, Ms. Zhao, who registered on the same day, had a much simpler wedding. Having been in Guangzhou for over five years and working as a secretary in a company, she eventually chose to marry her university classmate, another person from a rural area in Guangdong striving in the city. They simply repainted their rented apartment, changed the curtains, bought a set of red bedding, and considered themselves married.
Many friends did not understand Ms. Zhao's choice, especially female friends, who advised her to find someone with better conditions. In fact, there is a clear gender divide in attitudes towards "naked marriage." Online surveys show that 80% of men support "naked marriage," while 70% of women think it is unreliable.
There are quite a few netizens who admire the idea of "naked marriage." A user named "Ding Dang" from Tianya Community gave a convincing explanation: Compared to those who "hype their weddings," we, as ordinary members of the post-80s generation, have reached marriageable age. Without any background or family connections, we face rising tuition fees for education, difficulty in finding jobs, soaring housing prices, increasing oil prices, and being stuck in the stock market. We reach marriageable age during economic downturns and layoffs. Last year, my colleague "Ding Yu" got married without buying a house, a car, a diamond ring, or holding a wedding ceremony—"If big shots can hype their weddings, then we can have a naked marriage!"
Not everyone can easily accept "naked marriage." A netizen named "Su Zhe" expressed doubts: "Perhaps nine yuan can prove love, but who can guarantee that this nine-yuan love is unshakable?" Another netizen named "Holding the Moon" said: "Naked marriage is good, but it must also be approved by the mother-in-law!" A female netizen named "Du Yiwei" stated: "I can accept half-naked marriage, but perhaps not completely naked. Houses are like our clothes and pants, cars are like shoes, and weddings and rings are like hats and scarves. The latter three can be skipped, but being almost naked is unacceptable."
There are also many netizens who admire the concept of "naked marriage." A male netizen named "True Hero" said: "If there is a girl who does not demand a house or a car and is willing to sincerely accompany me, then our financially strained youth will be relatively more comfortable and happy." Another netizen named "Cheng Yimu" made a reasonable comment: "So-called naked marriage is nothing more than putting off what cannot be done at the time of marriage until after marriage. This is a normal thing."
Men support "naked marriage" to reduce pressure. "The popularity of the term 'naked marriage' proves, from one perspective, the inequality faced by modern men in social life, which is the excessive marital pressure borne by men." Deputy researcher Liang Liwen from the Institute of Sociology and Demography of the Guangdong Academy of Social Sciences stated in an interview that for a long time, society has advocated gender equality. But now, when women enjoy equal rights with men in employment and promotion, the "inequality" that men bear in terms of marriage costs is often overlooked.
Liang Liwen analyzed that "building a nest to attract a phoenix" seems to be a natural responsibility of men. Therefore, more young men choose to support "naked marriage" to alleviate the possible "mortgage slave" pressure they might face. As for women, they do not feel the cost of marriage deeply. In people's traditional concepts, buying a house for marriage is the man's responsibility, so women do not have to bear too much pressure and thus tend to support "marriage with a house."
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