Chivalry Is Nearly Dead - Or On Its Last Legs, Anyway
Chivalry (Born: whenever the first guy treated a woman kindly, regardless of whether or not she was boinking him or was his Mother; the word itself originated in 1250 or so Died: 2007, but many women will tell you it was much, much earlier than that - and they're probably right)
Does anyone recognize this asshole, seated on the L train at about 10:40am today?:
Probably not, since it's blurry as hell and I couldn't get a good shot of him on the train this morning without looking like the total stalker psychopath that I am.
This spoon-fed hipster ignoramus was on the bus from Greenpoint with me today, going into Willyburg to catch the L train. He was sitting in one of the seats at the front of the bus, I was in the middle, closer to the door. An elderly woman with a cane who obviously had trouble walking got on the bus and not only did she have to ask him for his seat (instead of him immediately getting up and offering it to her like someone should do), but he rolled his eyes and sighed and made a deal about it; and all he had to do was move over one seat! She looked at him with disgust after she sat down, but he was oblivious; I watched the whole thing from my seat and was just seething. I later saw this asshole on the train coming in and snapped his pic.
Have you ever noticed that on buses or trains, about 8 times out of 10 if a pregnant or elderly woman gets on, the only people who get up to offer her a seat are women? Either women or men who are so old that the poor sweethearts should just stay seated themselves, lest they fall. You'll see young, healthy men of all different ages keeping their seat - the idea of helping a pregnant or elderly woman and having any sense of chivalry as far from their mind as possible.
Or women who have a baby, and maybe another child as well, and are fumbling with trying to hold onto the both of them while not falling...again, if you see a man get up to offer his seat, it's anything just short of a miracle. I'm always offering my seat, and I'll look at these men, whose lack of chivalry, kindness, empathy and consideration knows no boundaries: all races and almost all ages. Like I said, the only ones you see really showing any chivalry are the old, old men - and even then, I notice that if they are from certain countries (I'm assuming where women are not highly regarded) then that theory goes out the window.
What happened? What the hell is wrong with men today? I mean, really: has anyone noticed (besides me and my girlfriends who sit and drink and bitch about this) that Chivalry has almost gone the way of the dinosaurs? I would like to blame the "latest generation" or whatever...but I notice it in men over 30,40 and 50, as well. Why is this?
Is it cultural, like I mentioned above, where some men are brought up in cultures where chivalry never really existed and women are just considered to be walking birth canals and private chefs - and we are holding them to the standards that we would...oh, I dunno...normal, nice fucking people? Are parents to be blamed for raising boys that are narcissistic and lack simple human empathy and a desire to be a gentleman?
Or could it also be us? Have we done something along the way to allow...to open the door, if you will, for this to happen?
I am as much of an advocate for women's rights as most self-respecting women; I wouldn't have started a site like this if I wasn't. I believe we should be treated as equally as the Boys in every way and deserve each and every right and should be treated with all the respect that men receive. I am an advocate for women when other women look the other way.
However, and I know I will get flack for this: I think that some feminists took it a wee bit too far.
I see women who get pissed off if a guy holds a door open for them. Or tries to pull back their chair at the dinner table. Uh, excuse me, but I think that's just a man showing respect. How is that any representation of disrespecting us as women?
Women today, since the struggles of the Feminist Movement of the 60's, have tried so hard to make us equal that I think they went above and beyond the call of duty; I think some radical feminists have seriously fucked the rest of us out of being treated with any kind of chivalry from many a man...or, at least, given men the path of least resistance.
I mean, hey - if a chick is going to yell at him possibly for trying to be chivalrous, then why should he bother? Let her go dutch on the bill, let her get her own damn door, and let the pregnant lady hang onto the hand rail like the rest of the guys, right? And while they're at it, if they happen to be 85 and a women, to hell with 'em if they fall down.
Well, whatever it is, it needs to stop - now. Men need to start stepping up to the plate. Quit shoving women aside in lines in the grocery store. Give a lady a seat. Just quit being assholes.
But, let's not forget the few men out there who do open doors; who do get up and let the elderly or pregnant women have a seat; who do act with all the utmost kindness and chivalry. Let's not forget them - and thank them.
Does anyone recognize this asshole, seated on the L train at about 10:40am today?:
Probably not, since it's blurry as hell and I couldn't get a good shot of him on the train this morning without looking like the total stalker psychopath that I am.
This spoon-fed hipster ignoramus was on the bus from Greenpoint with me today, going into Willyburg to catch the L train. He was sitting in one of the seats at the front of the bus, I was in the middle, closer to the door. An elderly woman with a cane who obviously had trouble walking got on the bus and not only did she have to ask him for his seat (instead of him immediately getting up and offering it to her like someone should do), but he rolled his eyes and sighed and made a deal about it; and all he had to do was move over one seat! She looked at him with disgust after she sat down, but he was oblivious; I watched the whole thing from my seat and was just seething. I later saw this asshole on the train coming in and snapped his pic.
Have you ever noticed that on buses or trains, about 8 times out of 10 if a pregnant or elderly woman gets on, the only people who get up to offer her a seat are women? Either women or men who are so old that the poor sweethearts should just stay seated themselves, lest they fall. You'll see young, healthy men of all different ages keeping their seat - the idea of helping a pregnant or elderly woman and having any sense of chivalry as far from their mind as possible.
Or women who have a baby, and maybe another child as well, and are fumbling with trying to hold onto the both of them while not falling...again, if you see a man get up to offer his seat, it's anything just short of a miracle. I'm always offering my seat, and I'll look at these men, whose lack of chivalry, kindness, empathy and consideration knows no boundaries: all races and almost all ages. Like I said, the only ones you see really showing any chivalry are the old, old men - and even then, I notice that if they are from certain countries (I'm assuming where women are not highly regarded) then that theory goes out the window.
What happened? What the hell is wrong with men today? I mean, really: has anyone noticed (besides me and my girlfriends who sit and drink and bitch about this) that Chivalry has almost gone the way of the dinosaurs? I would like to blame the "latest generation" or whatever...but I notice it in men over 30,40 and 50, as well. Why is this?
Is it cultural, like I mentioned above, where some men are brought up in cultures where chivalry never really existed and women are just considered to be walking birth canals and private chefs - and we are holding them to the standards that we would...oh, I dunno...normal, nice fucking people? Are parents to be blamed for raising boys that are narcissistic and lack simple human empathy and a desire to be a gentleman?
Or could it also be us? Have we done something along the way to allow...to open the door, if you will, for this to happen?
I am as much of an advocate for women's rights as most self-respecting women; I wouldn't have started a site like this if I wasn't. I believe we should be treated as equally as the Boys in every way and deserve each and every right and should be treated with all the respect that men receive. I am an advocate for women when other women look the other way.
However, and I know I will get flack for this: I think that some feminists took it a wee bit too far.
I see women who get pissed off if a guy holds a door open for them. Or tries to pull back their chair at the dinner table. Uh, excuse me, but I think that's just a man showing respect. How is that any representation of disrespecting us as women?
Women today, since the struggles of the Feminist Movement of the 60's, have tried so hard to make us equal that I think they went above and beyond the call of duty; I think some radical feminists have seriously fucked the rest of us out of being treated with any kind of chivalry from many a man...or, at least, given men the path of least resistance.
I mean, hey - if a chick is going to yell at him possibly for trying to be chivalrous, then why should he bother? Let her go dutch on the bill, let her get her own damn door, and let the pregnant lady hang onto the hand rail like the rest of the guys, right? And while they're at it, if they happen to be 85 and a women, to hell with 'em if they fall down.
Well, whatever it is, it needs to stop - now. Men need to start stepping up to the plate. Quit shoving women aside in lines in the grocery store. Give a lady a seat. Just quit being assholes.
But, let's not forget the few men out there who do open doors; who do get up and let the elderly or pregnant women have a seat; who do act with all the utmost kindness and chivalry. Let's not forget them - and thank them.
Labels: chivalry
posted by Billychicat 5:41 PM
9 comments
