>>>
>>> BACK
>>> BACK WHEN OUR GRANDPARENTS WERE GETTING HITCHED THEY WERE
ABOUT 20 YEARS OLD.
FOR OUR PARENTS, MAYBE 21 OR 22
YEARS OLD.
YEARS OLD. RIGHT NOW THE AVERAGE AGE FOR A
WOMAN TO MARRY IS 27 AND FOR
MAN IS ABOUT 29 1/2.
IF YOU MISS THESE MARKS FOR
MARRYING AS A FEMALE, IT DOES
SEEM TO GIVE SOME FOLKS SOME
PAUSE.
PAUSE.
PAUSE. THAT'S EXACTLY WHY MY 30-YEAR-
OLD FRIENDS, ELLEN, WROTE AN
ESSAY IN THE STAR TRIBUNE
CALLED "I'M SINGLE AND I LOVE
IT, BUT MINNESOTANS DON'T SEEM
TO BELIEVE ME".
>> I JUST WROTE AN ARTICLE
ABOUT BEING 30 AND SINGLE IN
MINNESOTA.
MINNESOTA. >> ♪
>> ♪
>> ♪ >>
>> ♪ >> BEFORE YOU QUEUE UP SOME
REALLY SAD MUSIC, SCRATCH IT.
THIS ISN'T A SPENCER'S TAIL.
-- SPENCER -- SPINSTER'S TAIL.
>> THEY CAN PUT THEMSELVES IN
MY SHOES.
MY SHOES.
MY SHOES. >> Reporter: SHE TRAVELS THE
WORLD AND HAS A FAMILY FULL OF
HAPPILY MARRIED PEOPLE.
SPEAKING OF WEDDINGS --
>> I HAVE BEEN TO 34 WEDDINGS
IN 12 YEARS.
>> SHE HAS WATCHED 68 PEOPLE
SHE LOVES STEAL THE DEAL.
SHE'S NO STRANGER TO COUPLES.
SHE'S JUST NOT IN ONE, AND THAT
OKAY.
OKAY.
OKAY. >>
OKAY. >> IT'S NOT THAT I WILL REFUSE
TO EVER GO ON A DATE OR
EVENTUALLY GET MARRIED, IF I
FALL IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE I
WANT TO SPEND THE REST OF MY
LIFE WITH.
LIFE WITH. IT'S NOT THAT I CONSIDER IT --
IT'S JUST THAT I DON'T CONSIDER
IT IMPERATIVE TO MY HAPPINESS.
I THINK SOCIETY LYNX THEM SO
THAT SEPARATING THEM IS
CONFUSING TO PEOPLE.
>> IT'S TRUE, ESPECIALLY FOR
WOMEN.
WOMEN.
WOMEN. HOW MANY MOVIES CENTER AROUND
THE GIRL FINALLY GETTING HER
GUY.
GUY.
GUY. DO
GUY. DO THEY MAKE MOVIES ABOUT A MAN
DESPERATE TO HAVE A LADY PUT A
RING ON HIM.
>> I DON'T SEE MOVIES AND BOOKS
PORTRAYING THIS AS A CRISIS
THAT A MAN IS SUDDENLY 30 AND
SINGLE.
SINGLE.
SINGLE. >> THINK OF ELLEN AS BEING A
SUCCESSFUL GUY LIKE THAT, IF
IT'S EASIER, THE OLD GEORGE
CLOONEY, LOVING BEING A
BACHELOR AND HAVING EVERY
SUCCESS IN THE WORLD, SURROUNDED
WITH LOVE AND HAPPINESS,
BECAUSE THAT'S ACTUALLY TRUE.
IF YOU'RE SMIRKING THINKING, IF
SHE IS SO FINE, WHY DID SHE
WRITE THIS ESSAY.
>> I KNOW THERE'S OTHER PEOPLE
THAT FEEL THIS WAY AND I KNOW
THAT THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE THE
MEANS TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES AND
AS A WRITER, IT'S SOMETHING I
HAVE TO DO.
>> NO WOE IS HER WITH HER NAKED
LEFT RING FINGER AND CLOSET
FULL OF BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES.
>> I'M THE 30-YEAR-OLD SINGLE
DOCTOR WHO TRAVELS ALONE AND
LIVES ALONE.
LIVES ALONE. [ LAUGHTER ]
>> ELLEN ALSO LEARNED TODAY TO
NOT READ THE COMMENTS.
THAT'S THE INTERNET PLAYGROUND.
>> YOU GET PAID FOR BEING
SINGLE AT 30?
>> IT'S THAT PEOPLE DON'T
UNDERSTAND IT.
UNDERSTAND IT. THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO WALK IN
SOMEONE'S SHOES.
SOMEONE'S SHOES. WHEN SOMEONE SAYS, I'M BY
MYSELF IT'S LIKE, ARE YOU
SEEING SOMEONE?
SEEING SOMEONE? I REALLY BELIEVE IT'S TRUE.
YOUTH THINK THAT SOMEONE IS
GOING TO BE HAPPIER IF THEY ARE
COUPLED.
COUPLED.
COUPLED. ALL SHE IS SAYING IS YOU CAN
HAVE A HAPPY LIFE NOT BEING
COUPLED.
COUPLED.
COUPLED. THEY ARE NOT MUTUALLY
EXCLUSIVE.
EXCLUSIVE. BOTH THINGS CAN BE TO.
>> IS A GUY, I DON'T THINK OUR
FRIENDS DO THAT TO EACH OTHER.
IT'S NOT LIKE, YOU ARE 30 AND
SINGLE.
SINGLE.
SINGLE. IT DOESN'T WORK LIKE THAT WITH
GUYS.
GUYS.
GUYS. >>
GUYS. >> BUT WITH WOMEN IT'S LIKE,
YOU ARE GOING TO WITHER AWAY.
>>> BEFORE THE BREAK, HERE ARE
SOME OF YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT
HAVING THE SINGLE LIFE.