Tag Archives: chivalry

4 Tips On How To Pick The Perfect Place For A First Date

Jessica WakemanMay 8, 2012 //
Online Dating No-Nos
Take these five phrases off your profile immediately! Read More »
Dating Victim
I am not a dating victim -- and neither are you. Read More »
Bad Dating Habits
Us ladies are not immune to fouling up a date... Read More »
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Doing my time online dating, I’ve developed strong opinions about a lot of things. Handlebar mustaches? NO. Ayn Rand followers? Next. Men who tell girls not to contact them if you’re “crazy”? I hope you die alone! (Also, does any woman actually self-diagnose as “crazy”?)

My strongest opinion  when it comes to dating — which has become the subject of many an impassioned Frisky office debate — is the ideal location for a first date. I’ve noticed that lots of guys have the best intentions when it comes to picking a first date spot but oftentimes fail.  Maybe this is not a problem for people who live in the ‘burbs or small cities; perhaps there is a “town center” where all the restaurants and bars are located. But in larger cities with complicated public transit systems — Los Angeles, Boston, Washington, D.C., my home turf of New York City — a lady could end up traveling an hour-plus getting to a date. And then have to sell her firstborn child to pay for it.

So I thought I’d offer a few thoughts — for dudes and girls alike, it’s 2012 people! — on how to pick a place for a first date. Keep reading »

10 Chivalrous Moves That Don’t Creep Us Out

Ami AngelowiczMarch 19, 2012 //
Is Chivalry Sexist?
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Is being a gentleman actually really sexist? Read More »
Second Date Moves
These moves will probably land you a second date. Read More »
Dating Rituals
Sweaty apples, dance cards, and dainty gloves, just to start. 10 Photos »

Draw your weapons ladies and gents: for we are about to revisit the controversial topic of chivalry. A while back, we got into a very heated debate about so-called chivalrous moves that creep us out. While some of the Friskyverse disagreed, most of us felt that having a man walk us to the bathroom (ala Blake Lively and Penn Badgley pre-breakup) was creepy. I would most certainly feel weird about this if it happened. Luckily no man has ever tried that move on me. I know we all come from different backgrounds, have different views on feminism and were taught different dating customs, so we’re bound to disagree about this. But my personal opinion is that when it comes to chivalry, it’s all about confidence. It’s how you execute the chivalrous move rather than what it is. The moments I feel most awkward are when a man does something chivalrous because he thinks he’s supposed to rather than he authentically feels like he wants to.

I went on a recent-ish date where a guy tried to pull out my chair for me at dinner. I almost fell when I went to sit down because he swooped in at the last minute when I was already mid-crouch and I didn’t see him coming. Ugh. It was such an uncomfie scenario. For starters, I don’t need any assistance sitting down. I just don’t. And his uncertainty only made it worse. Either go for it or don’t. Maybe I won’t be a fan of your move, but I’ll appreciate you for committing. And then I’ll say something like, “That was sweet, but no need for you to pull out my chair.” You can’t ever fault a guy for having manners or trying to impress you. You also can’t fault a guy from abstaining from chivalry altogether. That shit is confusing.

Guys, if you are going to incorporate chivalry into your romantic repertoire, there are some moves that are safer than others. After the jump, I’ve compiled a few that don’t creep the ladies at The Frisky out, when executed with confidence and sincerity of course. Feel free to add to the list or completely disagree with me. Let’s keep trying figure this chivalry stuff out. Keep reading »

Adventures In Gold Digging

Jessica WakemanDecember 1, 2011 //
Get Out Of Debt
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Tips for how to get out of debt now! Read More »
Money 101
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How how meaningfully reduce your expenses. Read More »
Rehab Your Credit
Yes, you can fix your credit rating. Read More »
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For reasons unbeknownst to me, Business Insider has published a piece about a young woman in New York City who did something unethical, tempting and all-too-easy: she used the online dating site Match.com to score around $1,200 in free dinners paid for by dates. Keep reading »

The Soapbox: What It Means To Be A Gentleman

Jessica WakemanOctober 25, 2011 //
Chivalry In School
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An Arizona teacher makes chivalry a classroom rule. Read More »
Define: Gentleman
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What does "gentleman" mean these days, anyway? Read More »
Is Chivalry Sexist?
chivalry photo
Is being a gentleman actually really sexist? Read More »

I came late to appreciating chivalry, which I have written about on The Frisky before. For most of my life, chivalry made me uncomfortable. I’ve always identified as a feminist and Third Wave feminism generally is pretty frosty towards traditional gender roles. But moreso than being a feminist, I felt the same way a lot of modern women (who may or may not identify as feminists) do in that I felt pride of my ability to take care of myself better than my mother can take care of herself. I pay my own bills, I know how to change a tire on a car, I buy my own technology, etc. etc.

However, as I grew older and had more life experiences and more serious relationships, I realized that I liked being treated chivalrously. Some of it is that I like the outward displays of both respect and affection; as a person whose job entails the reading of many nasty Internet comments about my beliefs/life choices/appearance, those little loving moments are golden.

Keep reading »

Dealbreaker: He Made Me Mail My Half Of The Bill

Christiana YiallouridesMarch 16, 2011 //
Is Chivalry Sexist?
chivalry photo
Is being a gentleman actually really sexist? Read More »

I met Donny* for a drink at 6 p.m. on a Sunday. When I walked into the deserted restaurant, soaked from the downpour outside, I didn’t know he was destined to become the pettiest, stingiest and most pitiable man I’ve ever gone out with. Keep reading »

Pregnant Commuter Kept Track Of How Much You Suck At Giving Up Your Seat

Jessica WakemanMarch 10, 2011 //

Most of us would like to think that if we saw a pregnant, elderly or handicapped person on the train or subway, we would offer up our seat in a jiffy. But a nifty social experiment done on the New York City subway by Elizabeth Carey Smith of Brooklyn, New York, during her recent pregnancy found that while she was offered a seat the majority of the time, good manners were not guaranteed. Keep reading »

Conservative Women To Honor “Gentlemen” On Campus This March

Jessica WakemanMarch 1, 2011 //

It’s Women’s History Month, sisters, but you wouldn’t know it based on one women’s group’s plans. The Network of Enlightened Women, a conservative group, is hosting its annual Gentleman’s Showcase on college campuses during the month of March. The Gentleman’s Showcase seeks to honor young men who “behave like gentlemen” based on a set of criteria — both general and specific — explained on NEW’s web site. Young men have been nominated in the past by women because they carried groceries, shoveled snow, opened doors and other so-called “gentlemanly” behavior. There is no prize, per se, but the accolades of conservative women everywhere!

While I don’t know why NEW has to co-opt Women’s History Month for their Gentleman’s Showcase, nor do I agree that traditional gender roles should be enforced on anyone, I don’t inherently think the idea of positively acknowledging “nice guys” on college campuses is a terrible idea. Keep reading »

Girl Talk: My Newfound Respect For Chivalry

Jessica WakemanJanuary 31, 2011 //

My freshman year of college, I went on a date with a guy to a fancy restaurant in Manhattan. It was the kind of place with a white tablecloth, where a busboy scraped the crumbs off the table with a comb once your plates were removed and the maitre’d pulled out women’s chairs for them. That’s where I made my big statement: the maitre’d pulled out a chair for me and I walked around to the other chair, pulled it out for myself and sat down. I wasn’t just being rude; I thought I was making a point about how I — and by extension all women — didn’t need to be treated with chivalry. Keep reading »

Is Chivalry Only For Men? I Don’t Think So, Ladies!

YourTango.comJanuary 22, 2011 //

Whether a man is opening the door for a woman, sliding the chair away from the table so she can sit down, paying for her dinner on the first date, giving up a seat for a her, or simply allowing the woman to enter the elevator first, these are all common examples of chivalry. Whoever said chivalry was dead, clearly doesn’t live in the south where it is still alive and kicking. Every single day, I’m experiencing chivalrous acts by men—most of whom I don’t even know! This was beautiful to me—until I started reading some studies created around chivalry… Keep reading »

10 Ways Guys Can Ensure A Successful Date Before It Begins

Amelia McDonell-ParryDecember 7, 2010 //

It never ceases to amaze me, the myriad of ways dudes manage to f**k up dates before they’ve even begun. I don’t want to walk into a first date with a bad attitude, but if he has the gall to ask me out and then say, “Pick a place, but make sure it’s cheap,” I kind of can’t help it. I’m not the kind of bitch who picks Chez Chic-Chic for a first date, but if you’re on a budget, why don’t you pick, dickwad? Anyhoo, though I make a decent living complaining about men on the internet, I do like to pay it forward by giving unsolicited advice. Here are ten ways a dude can ensure a date is going to be a slam dunk before it’s even begun. Keep reading »

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