Hickory Dickory Dock… Is Andrew Dice Clay’s Divorce A Crock?

For any of you single ladies who are interested, raunchy comedian and actor, Andrew Dice Clay, is back on the market.

Or is he?

Andrew Dice Clay, 56, recently announced his split from third wife, Valerie Silverstein. Married a little over four years, the couple made the decision to divorce, but are doing anything but splitting. In a statement to People, Clay, who was born Andrew Silverstein, explained, “The word ‘marriage’ was putting a pressure on our relationship, and since we filed, we’ve been more in love and have had more respect for each other than ever before.”

A happy divorce. I would never have imagined.

But I do wonder, can a piece of paper really hold so much weight that it could potentially cause irreparable damage to the relationship of a couple who still professes to be very much in love? Can divorce actually be the best way to save a troubled romance?

As a woman who married young to my first love, I always believed the institution of marriage marked the highest form of commitment a couple could offer each other. By outwardly declaring their devotion under civil law, and before family, friends and God, I believed a couple made a solemn promise to try even harder to make their relationship work than if they were able to walk away without much consequence when the going got tough.

Turns out leaving a marriage, and a lackluster one at that, was not so difficult for my ex and I even when the stakes were high. So, it begs the question, how much is that marriage certificate really worth? If it does not inspire people to work harder before throwing in the towel, before cheating on their spouses, or before emotionally checking out of their marriages, is that public statement and legal document really worth any more than the value of the paper it is printed on?

I think not.

At this stage of my life, as a middle-aged divorcée and single mother of three, I would still like to believe the institution of marriage represents the deepest union between two people. But in order not to be disappointed again in the future, I do my best to remember marriage is only a promise to try, and not an eternal guarantee of happily ever after. It is when dedication to repair and sustain a once loving relationship is absent I take issue.

If Clay and his soon-to-be ex commit to making that love affair of theirs endure, then I say more power to them. Divorce away! Should that be the case, their marriage certificate has a value, albeit one they may have never originally anticipated.

To celebrate their impending legal split, and what I can only assume is a pledge to mend their strained relationship, the Brooklyn-born actor and his former bride dined at the upscale restaurant, Craig’s, in West Hollywood. Marital, ahem, divorce bliss? I certainly hope so.

Perhaps the best thing for couples planning to wed would be to issue them working papers instead of marriage certificates. It would certainly go a long way toward clarifying what is expected.

What are your thoughts on marriage?