How Did Marriage Become a Mark of Privilege?

The answer they don't want to touch? The media, NYT included, has been attacking the very concept of marriage for decades. It's not a matter of "privilege", it's a matter of those that are more capable of ignoring poor advice from channels like TV, or the New York Times, or your dumb roommate in college, are more likely to be successful in general.

For a lot of people, they want to be financially secure before they marry (historically men would often marry later than women - after 'making their fortune' or establishing their career). With todays casualised workforce, houseprices, etc, that sort of security is more elusive.