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What does everyone think of the age of chivalry and shining knights in armour? I think it depends on who you are. I'm not fond of men doing anything for me, because, quite frankly, I can do it myself.

There will always be characters in fantasy that act this way; men who act like chivalrous knights, and women who act like fairytale princesses and damsels in distress, and which characters do we love and hate that we know about?

One disturbing example is Conrad from the anime Rune Soldier, who portrays himself as a handsome chivalrous knight in armour, when in fact he's a selfish weedy little man with a pretty face.

Chivalry is overrated. I once learned in school that chivalry involved knights treating ladies with gentleness and respect. Only problem was these ladies were often not the knights wives (which many did have). By this account chivalry was - at least in a small part - akin to romanticized adultury.

And as for the more stereotypical chivalry, well we live in a very different age. In this modern era women have worked hard toward achieving equality with men. I'm all for this. Realistically though, women can't have it both ways. This has actually been something I've thought about when riding on crowded busses and trains (mainly from my college days). If I have a seat and I see a girl standing do I offer her the seat? Sometimes I think yes, but also I might think "She has two legs and they work just as well as mine." I wold be interested to hear what women think in this situation. Would you want to be treated with chivalry (get the seat) or equally (just as capable of standing on a moving vehicle as a man is)?

I agree with you Mel, I suppose I do consider myself somewhat of a gentleman but sometimes I can be a bit absent minded. I guess that can be misinterpreted sometimes too.
Say, did you all know that in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, you can play as a Paladin? Well, they have this ability set called "Chivalry" and the abilities they can learn and use are the following:
Nurse, Defense, Cover, Subdue, Drop Weapon, Parley, Saint Cross & Holy Blade.
What do you all think? Here's what a friend of mine used to wonder about them:


I know this doesn't really have much to do with the subject but, I just wanted you to see that. sweatdrop

Oh I know some things have relevance to our world. I'm not silly. sweatdrop
I just hate things being done FOR me in most cases. There was a firm I worked for only for a short while, but women weren't allowed to lift boxes AT ALL. Amanda told me earlier today that the work experience she's doing at a charity shop is like that as well.

I can lift dirty great big pieces of concrete, large heavy bags of compost or bird seed (we have chickens in our back garden), and at least two boxes of very heavy books (like I did at Borders). They call it a "health and safety issue" whereas if you know you're strong enough and know your limits, there shouldn't be a problem. I'll be taken for who I am regardless. In most cases were this happens, it's a man's fear of his MASCULINITY that tells him women shouldn't do anything. Men who think like that are afraid of women being as good as them. They know there will be women that can physically and/or mentally match them in any way, but many would never admit it.

Going back in time to my mention of Joan of Arc. She could fight, but she was killed because she was a strong woman. If that isn't a demonstration of the male society's fear of it then I don't know what is. In either case, I think both men and women can be chivalrous for right and wrong reasons.

Mel mentioned car doors. I think this help illustrate the point I was trying to make about chivalry. Men don't open car doors for all women, but for women they are dating and/or trying to impress (a little different than the bus seat thing or throwing your coat on a puddle - which I wold never do). Jenannen asked how it was akin to sanctioned adultury. Again this is just what I heard from one source, but basically the idea is like I mentioned above: the chivalrous knight was mainly chivalrous to a particular lady he was trying to impress - and that this particular lady would often not be the knight's wife, even if he had one.

About Joan of Arc, I don't think that she was killed because men were afraid of her being a capable leader, but because she claimed to hear voices which was considered a heresy and she was burned for witchcraft. It is important to note that she was not burned by her fellow French, for whom she led many victorious battles, but by her English enemies who captured her. Still, Mel may have a point. I wonder if the outcome would have been different had it been a teenage boy who had heard and followed voices. Christian religion is very patriarchal.

I see your point. I guess us men just need to know what women want. I heard a story of some kids in highschool on a prom date. One young noticed after some time (I think ten to fifteen minutes) that his date had failed to come in with him and his friends and their dates. When he went out to the car to investigate his date's mysterious absence, he found her waiting in the car, refusing to come out because he had failed to open the door for her. I would have hated to have been that guy.

I also saw a cartoon at an animation film festival - a comical parody of Schoolhouse Rock about political correctness - in which a girl kicked the main character in the groin after he held a restaurant door open for her. Even if he was just a cartoon, I wouldn't want to be that guy either.

This makes life complicated for us guys. As for me I know that my mom taught me to hold doors open for people regardless of gender. At church my three year old daughter always rushes out to hold the main doors open for people as they leave - which can sometimes be annoying because she herself often won't leave because she wants to hold it open for everyone. But now I think I'm a little off topic for chivalry, so I'll be done.

Makes sense. There is no point using chivalry to impress a lady who is not impressed by it. Maybe that's when a guy could smash a beer can on his forehead. rolleyes He he, just kidding.

Lol! Those poll options are hilarious! mrgreen

I like it when my date hold the door open for me, or pulls the chair at a restaurant. But when I am not dating, I don't really care.