Yes, because anyone who works in promotion is incapable of having a sincere personal life.

Justin was obviously comfortable announcing his love to the world, which was opening himself up for criticism like this. If you really think the proposal was tacky that’s fine, it’s clearly your right to express that.

Yet, it isn’t ok to attempt a psychoanalysis of him, or try and determine the earnestness of his relationship.

That’s the thing – it WAS an intimate proposal over dinner. That’s why this is interesting in the first place, and that’s why a lot of people are saying it is a perfect proposal: It was both a huge gesture and yet completely private at the exact same time. The video certainly isn’t shockingly private, it’s short, sweet, and honest.

It doesn’t make me sad because I know them. It makes me sad because it reflects such a disturbing trend. As the internet slowly moves from something that is populated by geeks and teenagers trying to get their kicks (I was there, I know what it’s like.) and into something that is used almost universally by society there has to be a gentle shift towards being more humane. More human. This is what I would ask of you: Don’t instantly discount everything you see online as worthless or abhorrent. Don’t assume everyone that does something large has also done something horrible. The internet is the ultimate democratization between celebrities and normal people, don’t hate on one of your own.

Believe me, I understand exactly how the internet works. None of this shocks me, it’s simply fallacious and shallow.

Women want men to make a big deal out of proposals, they want it to be special. They want it to be something they can tell people and smile. Smaller gestures in private are fine, they really are. For a couple like Justin and Marissa who have been together, very lovingly, for 6 years, the marriage isn’t hinging on the proposal. They both love Tumblr and have been using it since it’s inception, they met on the internet. The internet is the reason they’re together. Justin was cooking dinner with her when she found out about this, he got on his knee as she started the video, and they drank champagne and finished dinner.

There’s nothing there that is anything but sincere. For people to simply assume that everything seen in a public forum is for the attention, or stemming from a deep psychological need for attention are giving their implicit reasoning too much credit. This wasn’t for a TV show, and it wasn’t to promote Tumblr. Justin happens to be great friends with the guy who created Tumblr, so it was done as a favor.

I’m not upset, I’m disappointed.