New Honey Maid Commercial Celebrates Divorce as 'Wholesome'

According to a Honey Maid commercial, divorce is now “wholesome.”

“You know, I never thought I’d get divorced,” says a dad, as pictures of a smiling, blended family flit across the screen. “But the way I look at it, there are just more of us to love the kids now,” he says.

“This is who we are, as perfect as we’re supposed to be,” a woman adds.

The narrator joins in as two men are shown cooing over a baby: “No matter how things change, what makes us wholesome never will. Honey Maid. This is wholesome.”

The description below the video of the ad on Honey Maid’s YouTube channel explains, “In our 2015 anthem spot we recognize wholesome modern day families of all types. Because no matter how things change, what makes us wholesome never will.​”

What is it that makes us wholesome? We’re not told, except for the claptrap about being “as perfect as we’re supposed to be,” whatever that means.

But we do know that a review of the empirical research on the effects of divorce on children found some not-so-wholesome outcomes for children when parents split up.

Researchers found children from divorced families were “significantly more likely to have behavioral, internalizing, social, and academic problems” when compared with children from continuously married families (at least twice that of children in continuously married families). Children from broken homes also had increased conduct disorders, antisocial behaviors, and problems with authority figures and parents. 

Another study found that “between 18 and 25 percent of children have no contact with their fathers 2-3 years after divorce” and that “20-25 percent of children in divorced families, compared to 10 percent of children in non-divorced families, demonstrate severe emotional and behavioral problems.”

I’m not sure what Honey Maid’s angle is on this. Are they merely trying to sell graham crackers to divorced parents or are they trying to push a social agenda that undermines traditional marriage?

I suspect it’s both.

And while Honey Maid is celebrating adults who are focused on their own happiness and personal fulfillment, millions of kids are growing up in broken homes, missing their mom or their dad. There’s nothing “wholesome” in the deal for them.