Youth Radio's Alana Germany compares the male courting practices of today to those of her mother's generation and has noticed a shift in the way men approach women. That's why she says disrespect is the new chivalry.
Most of the time, guys approach girls as if they were hailing a cab--hollering “AY AY wait a minute” as they swing their arms wildly though the air.
In my 18 years on the planet, I’ve heard it all. “Hey! Girl with the glasses!” “or “Hey sexy! Come here!” and my personal favorite, “How you doin’, chocolate?”
Some might say that I should be flattered by getting approached so often and maybe I would be…that is if guys weren’t so disrespectful.
My mom grew up in a time when she says men constantly showed respect for women: always opening doors, pulling out chairs, and referring to women as “Miss” instead of the typical “Eh girl” of today. My mother told me how her dates meet her entire family, addressing her parents as ma'am and sir. And if her parents didn't approve of the boy, my mom wouldn't go out with him. It may still be like that in some small towns, but that isn't the case here. Not that I want my mom to screen all my dates, but I’d like to find a guy who’d at least make the effort.
On my way home after a day of being bombarded by trashy pick up lines, I thought about my mom’s generation and its courting practices, and started to wonder…what caused this shift in the way guys woo women?
I got so interested in this question, I decided to do some research. Many adults say the problem is today’s popular music. It seems as though every genre has become much more sexually explicit than before, and rap music’s adaptation of the words “bitch” and “ho” into synonyms for “woman” doesn’t help. Of course, music can’t be the only factor contributing to what Ebony magazine calls “a culture of disrespect.” I heard lots of theories. Some say women’s demand for equality led to the demise of chivalry. Others blame the media’s portrayal of women as sexual objects, or parents, for not teaching chivalry. And a lot of guys pointed out that some women answer to negative cat-calling, only encouraging them to continue their bad behavior.
Whatever the cause, I’d like to request that ladies and gentlemen start acting like just that. Ladies…and Gentleman.
