For centuries, men have been taught to be strong-willed, steadfast, devoid of overt emotions and incapable of feeling pain. But, nowadays these propagators of toxic masculinity seem to get rattled by the most simple things that women do. Sometimes they’re angered by jeans, and other times they’re frustrated that everyone finds wolf-whistling offensive. And as if they weren’t enough, another knight has joined the lot.
One fine day, Twitter user Richard Cooper suddenly came up with an extremely odd rule against women, asking them to choose between chivalry and equality.
Dear feminists. You either get equality or chivalry. You can't have both.
— Richard Cooper (@Rich_Cooper) September 4, 2018
First of all…
And second of all, why can’t men do both? Is it too much for their “broad shoulders” or is the weight of chivalry and equality making their knees buckle?
Some of the initial responses to Cooper’s request came from men, and that’s when he should’ve realised that he had tweeted out a bad take.
1. Damn right!
https://twitter.com/MarkFindlay26/status/1041957830868316161
2. As simple as that.
What people care about is caring, empathic, considerate, thoughtful people, NOT whether THEIR door is held for them or THEIR meal is paid for them. Are there gender stereotypes in het dating? Sure. But that's separate from being a warm, giving, caring, grounded person.
— Mark W. Wilson, MD (@markwwilsonmd) September 18, 2018
Nevertheless, as Cooper stood by his opinion, some women decided to teach him a lesson about what they need and where he can stick his chivalry into.
1. There you go.
#BenevolentSexism is still #sexism. I'll take equality. I don't need special treatment.
— Black Lives Matter (@minkajane) September 18, 2018
2. Like we haven’t seen that before.
https://twitter.com/SensiHannah/status/1042075405149265921
3. Accurate AF!
https://twitter.com/notimedobetter/status/1042109200124346373
4. Hope that enters his brain.
You got that wrong mate, equality and being polite are not exclusive, treating people differently because of their gender is, thats being a dick.
— â–‘â–’â–“â–ˆ Dan the Scourge Esq 🔶█▓▒░ (@_Arkadia_) September 18, 2018
5. Context? What is that?
https://twitter.com/MinxTracy/status/1042113406101274624
6. Oversimplified is probably some people’s way of living.
Nah. That's some real childlike, oversimplified thinking. There are obviously more than these two options. Your tweet makes it sound like you want to punish women for not liking you by refusing to be a decent human being.
— TheQuietRanger (@RangerQuiet) September 19, 2018
7. That opening line though.
Dear whoever you are, why would you living by a code centered around the qualities expected of an ideal knight conflict? Courage, honor, courtesy, justice, and a readiness to help the weak seem to go hand in hand with treating women as equal beings to me.
— Katrina Lehto (BLM, Member Antifa Chapter #24601) (@LitheraPrime) September 18, 2018
8. Sometimes we need a little bit of Gordon Ramsay in our lives.
— Tia Nana from a distance🧂 (@ipe_64) September 18, 2018
9. Simply put.
I'll take the equality, thanks.
— Cate Eland (@RomancingNope) September 18, 2018
10. Amen, sis!
Fuck chivalry. I am not a fragile doll. (Well, I am because I am physically atyp but not because I am a woman.) See me as a person which is what equality is. Don't see me as an object which is what chivalry perpetuates. https://t.co/ttrzz9L9Uo
— Sarah (@shoesforall) September 18, 2018
11. Please follow the instructions properly.
Take your chivalry and stick it in your ass. https://t.co/5GIVBgwzXf
— dizzy (@dizzygirl812) September 19, 2018
12. Say it one more time for those in the back.
We are sooooo bored with "chivalry" which stems from the courtly love period in the middle ages when women were treated as valuable property. We really like equality, and we are perfectly capable of opening our own doors.
— Jeanthejust (@Jeanthejust) September 18, 2018
So, in case you had a similar query in your mind, like Richard Cooper did, I hope these women have given you the answer.
Cover Image Source: Python (Monty) Pictures