Who or what starts a trend?

Is it the gals from The Hills? We have them to thank for bromances, trustafarians and men wearing a button-down dress shirt underneath a faux vintage tee to the club. I don't get it. But, I also have a hard time comprehending why everyone hates Speidi either.

If it's not that contrived celebreality on MTV influencing the sheeples of the world, then what could it be? Perez Hilton, Us Weekly, Oprah, the Jonas Brothers, Dr. Drew ... Apple?

All are strong contenders in the race to influence our culture. What I really want to know is who started the latest craze of staying with your husband after he cheats on you?

When former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer admitted he was a John and not an Eliot like his wife, Silda, thought, she smiled and held his hand. What was she thinking? Obviously not where that hand was the past year.

Now take John Edwards and all that baby daddy drama that has the makings of a Maury Povich episode. While his wife, Elizabeth, was ill with cancer the one time presidential hopeful was carrying on with some new age hippie. She forgives him. Maybe she sees a chance to be the first lady in her future, but pulling a Clinton is the closest Edwards will now ever get to the White House.

Speaking of Bubba, I think we can blame this partly on his wife. As much as I hate to admit it, I have a slight crush on the stallion from the south. That still does not mean I feel like his other half did the right thing in letting the boy be a boy.
Some women may disagree with my stance on standing by your man. They think that Hillary, Elizabeth and Silda are strong to be able to issue a playboy pardon. The one vein of feminism that runs through my body makes me think that we as women are taking "for better or worse" to a whole new level by turning a blind eye when a husband is a philanderer.

The whole point of getting married nowadays is to get a divorce. It used to be for the overly expensive kitchen utensils that you suckered your friends and family into buying on your registry. Spaghetti never tasted so good as when it is twirled on $100 spoon your cousin, whom you despise, had to buy because everything else was already purchased.

Do all of us a favor and kick your husband to the curb. Take the mansion, the summer home in the Hamptons, let him have the kids on the weekends and that will leave you plenty of free time to have a fling with the pool boy.

Cynthia Rodriguez knows how to do it. So does Morgan Freeman's soon-to-be ex-wife, who filed for divorce while he was still recuperating from a car accident in a hospital bed. We need more Mrs. Freemans in this world.

Breaking up is hard to do, but if you do it the right way you'll get to keep the diamond and your pride.

Lowellita has never been married, so take this advice with a grain of salt and shot of tequila. E-mail lowellita@lowellsun.com.