My 9-year-old son just asked me why people say "Ladies first" and my daughter was standing beside him when he asked. I told him it was because it is the polite thing to do and then he asked the dreaded question. "Why?" Why is it the polite thing to do? I sorta wanted to tell him that it's because it's a man's world and we rule over women and that it's nice of us to *allow* women to go first since we know the choice is actually up to us and we could easily overpower them and go first, but... I knew that wasn't a good answer, even if it was the right one (shutup, Kidd...) so... instead I told him uh....uh... I didn't know what to tell him. I blabbed something about how men are in control in lots of situations and how it's polite to let other people who are not in control like women go first, even if you're in control. He told me that his sister is in control of the video games they play together a lot of times, and that he doesn't mind that. Either I have a lot to teach him, or he has a lot to teach me. Fortunately I outweigh him by about 150 pounds, so for now at least "I'm right." I think I'm gonna try to listen extra carefully to what he says for a while, though. Just in case he's on to something. But he probably isn't.
OT Kids these days......
Nov 13, 2004
9 Replies
Silly. Women go first because that way if there is something mean and hungry waiting, it will eat them and the men can point and laugh from a safe vantage point.
No, no , no... We let them go first so we can stare at their ass as they pass.
Duh!
You know better.
Actually, it's "ladies first" because back in the day, women wore corsets. Why? Because a tiny waist was considered feminine. The smaller the better. The corsets were tightened day by day until the internal organs and ribs were deformed. It was impossible to take a deep breath, which is why back then women were always getting the vapors or fainting. A 13 inch waist could no longer hold up the torso without the aid of a corset. Women were incredibly delicate and found the most common tasks difficult, such as opening doors or exiting a stage coach. Thus, men had to help them (don't you feel special?). Women HAD to go first, with the men holding open the door. Otherwise, they would have stood outside until they fainted. ;) With the change of fashion and lifestyle, corsets were out, but it was still seen gentlemanly for a man to hold open the door for a woman. So instead of telling your son it's a control issue, just tell him the truth; it's because a long time ago, women tortured themselves to look attractive to men and thus became weak little twits that couldn't hold the door open for themselves.
Glad I could help! LMAO :D
Kidd "We're friends. You smile, I smile. You hurt, I hurt. You cry, I cry. You jump off a bridge.... I'm gonna miss your dumb ass."
..................And all this time I thought it was because we were nicer.
i thought it was because we were scared NOT to?
------------------- Chris Perdue "I'm ever so thankful for the Internet; it has allowed me to keep a finger in the pie and to make some small contribution to those younger who will carry the air-cooled legend forward" Jim Mais Feb. 2004
Really? I thought that was just Jan.
;) K.
"We're friends. You smile, I smile. You hurt, I hurt. You cry, I cry. You jump off a bridge.... I'm gonna miss your dumb ass."
No, it's because we are hoping to get laid.
..while getting a look at her butt while she passes.
It's this simple, and if we take off our hat and bow in politeness while holding the door, we get an even closer view of the motions as she passes. All the while, she thinks we are _just_ being polite.
HAHA.
Jan :)
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