The Nick-and-Jessica Phenomenon Explained

Ok, here's my theory. I believe that Nick and Jessica didn't work out because Jessica was more successful than her male counterpart. Marriages like that never work out - especially since they were competitors at one point in the pop music industry.

In psych, we learned that men are generally uncomfortable around more successful women. Not that they don't like smart women (some don't!), they just feel insecure about their masculine role when around women who are comfortable with supporting themselves.

So they started to date when they were both in the same boat - both successful pop artists. But then, Jessica decides she wants to pursue acting as well and with her new toned body and all, she begins to get noticed and her career skyrockets. All the while, Nick is at home, brooding over his failing career and wallowing in his wife's huge shadow of success. Although he's been quoted as saying, "It's not just her success, it's OUR success as a couple," the truth of the matter is, his bruised ego can only take so much!

So the lesson here is? If you're planning on being a successful woman, make sure you find a man who's comfortable with playing house-husband or is not afraid to be a man in a woman's shadow. Case in point, society views men who are less successful as gold-diggers, free-loaders and perhaps a bit lacking in the ambition department. So unless your man is Kevin Federline, he won't be comfortable with that kind of reputation.

It sucks that a woman who is smart and capable will be left sooner than a woman who is a bit dim in the upper cranial region. Is it so that in every relationship there has to be one less ambitious person for it to work? Can two ambitious people ever work out if they're always competing to be the provider? hmm...