But I’m not sure that the message is that simple. I am also opposed to the message that women can only be happy and considered “well-rounded” or “having it all” if they do have a man. What a simplistic idea of happiness and success! Some women are successful and career or educated oriented and make the choice to focus on those pursuits rather than relationships. Many women are perfectly happy being single and don’t feel that they need a man (or woman) to be complete. I think that is a powerful message that women need to hear.

For example, Christian Yang (on Grey’s Anatomy) I think it s a good illustration of a women who doesn’t feel incomplete without a man. She is driven and focused and passionate about her career and that is satisfying to her. She does not avoid relationships – in fact, right now she does actually have a love interest, interestingly one in which she is NOT the crazy one; he actually has PTSD, it seems – yet does not seek them out desperately and indiscriminately.

This is an important topic to discuss but I think we need to remember that sometimes successful women without relationships are actually a POSITIVE message.

Cosby was a genius, and I would love to see another clean, realistic show just like it on the air today.