In the latest episode of Apple TV+'s Shrinking ("D-Day"), which ironically aired during National Marriage Week, a heartwarming scene between Harrison Ford's Paul and high-school senior Alice (Lukita Maxwell) turns sour when she declares she wants kids but no husband, because marriage is a "sexist construct." Cue the eye rolls. This isn't clever writing. It's Hollywood's calculated jab at society's cornerstone, courtesy of liberal elites pushing so-called "empowerment" while dismantling family values. Paul is a therapist who Alice looks up to as her mentor and counselor. When discussing Alice’s future, the conversation turns to marriage and family, as she declares she wants children, but not a husband, because she believes marriage is a “sexist construct”: Apple TV's comedy #Shrinking declares marriage is a "sexist construct" during #NationalMarriageWeek. @AppleTV @MarriageWeekUSA @HarrisonFordLA #ValentinesDay #ValentinesDay2026 pic.twitter.com/G1DOGDXFL5 — Dawn Slusher (@BlondeBlogger) February 14, 2026 Paul: Least now you know, you can get it through it on your own if you have to. But hear this. You never have to. Alice: Good. 'Cause, I mean, I'm about to go to college, and that's gonna be insane. And then there will be work stuff and marriage. Actually, never doing that. That's a sexist construct. Or, sh*t, babies. Well, I guess I could do that. I did raise Dad. One might discount this babble as what Gen Z thinks is their newfound "conventional wisdom." But marriage isn't sexist. It's the ultimate equalizer. When done right, it's about unconditional love, commitment, and partnership. It lets men and women thrive together, raise kids responsibly, and build stable homes. Mountains of evidence show married couples are happier, healthier, and wealthier. Bad people can abuse any institution, but that doesn't make marriage itself flawed. Hollywood's propaganda-normalizing anti-marriage mantras in lighthearted scenes targets impressionable teens. It convinces girls that ditching marriage leads to fulfillment, not loneliness, with Netflix and cats as your only companions. This erodes bonds, encouraging delayed or skipped marriage, and it's fueling America's crisis: plummeting marriage and birth rates. Marriage rates are collapsing. The U.S. rate hit 6.1 per 1,000 in recent data, down sharply from historical highs. This decline isn't harmless. Out-of-wedlock births are 40% of all U.S. births, with about 34% of kids in single-parent families. Economist Melissa Kearney, author of The Two-Parent Privilege, shows kids from married two-parent homes have far better outcomes: lower poverty (often just 5% in married households vs. much higher in single-parent ones), better academics, and reduced behavioral issues. Children are more likely to be exposed to violence, crime, and abuse when there is just one parent, and children in married households perform much better academically. Crime surges where families fracture. The Institute for Family Studies' 2023 Stronger Families, Safer Streets report found cities with high single-parent households had 48% higher total crime, 118% higher violent crime, and 255% higher homicides (across 600+ cities, 2015–2019). In Chicago, high-single-parent areas saw 137% higher total crime, 226% higher violent crime, and 436% higher homicides -- patterns tied to father absence, even controlling for poverty and race. Delayed marriages hammer fertility, down to 1.6 kids per woman in 2024, well below the 2.1 replacement level. Fewer births mean populations shrink which leads to slower growth, stalled innovation, strained entitlements for seniors, and weaker social ties with fewer family connections. Shows like Shrinking aren't progressive, they're regressive, chipping away at America's strength. What they call "sexist construct" is actually America’s saving grace. We must push back: tax incentives for marriage, education on its benefits, and calling out this anti-marriage propaganda. Because if we let Hollywood continue to redefine family, we'll all pay a heavy price.