"Hooray for Kelly Ripa and All You Women Who Agree With Her"

Television hostess, Kelly Ripa, of "Live with Regis and Kelly", when asked for her thoughts about women picking up the tab after a dinner date said, "I'm sure a lady doesn't want to pick it up. But because she thinks chivalry is dead already, maybe the guy should impress her and pick up the check. And maybe pull out her chair, too." She added, "Any feminist who disagrees with me, I am sorry, but it's gone ridiculous now. We give birth; you pick up the check." Ripa also said that she tells her husband, "Raise your sons to pick up a check for a lady."


Within a few hours the women's website, Jezabel, slammed Ripa for her "antiquated social extremism". WHAT? Are you kidding me? The writer was outraged, "A woman can buy a man's meal any damn time she wants to---Ladies DO want to pay. Yours truly wants to pay, likes to pay, plans on paying etc, etc."

So where do these diverse views from women leave us men in these modern times? How are we supposed to know what will happen to us if we have the temerity to hold a door open for a woman or offer her a seat on a bus or maybe offer to help her with her overflowing grocery cart while she is trying to lift her toddler out of its seat? Are we going to be thanked or cursed? Are we going to be accused of being one of those defiled
 "male chauvinists"? (FYI ladies: there are actually very few true "male chauvinists". But it is sure a handy stereotype). We men do not know what to expect anymore. As for me, I DO NOT like it.

I come from a world where a boy was taught to do these things. I can remember men walking down the street and tipping their hats to ladies as they passed by. It was a sign of respect and the ladies ALWAYS nodded and smiled. We men view women as needing to be "looked out for", protected, as wanting a strong shoulder readily available to "cry on". It is our nature. We are somehow genetically programmed to want to take care of you.  It has nothing to do with mental acuity. In the IQ world many women are smarter than men. Women today are doctors, lawyers, politicians, successful entrepreneurs, accountants, IT experts, etc. Surprise ladies, men respect that. Most men also believe that women should get equal pay for doing similar jobs. But men DO NOT believe that women should become like men and strip us of who and what we were meant to be and mask it under the guise of equality. There are women out there who actually have this twisted notion that fathers are unnecessary. Just go to a sperm bank---who needs a stupid man. WHATEVER. If I were to pull your chair out at a restaurant it would be out of respect not because I would think I was better than you or was trying to control you or dominate you. I find it hard to believe that I  am actually explaining this but this is where our minds have gone.

Lord knows, I NEVER wanted to give birth to any of my children. But I sure loved being there to take care of and protect my wife and to hold my kids and feed them and even change their dirty diapers. I loved watching them grow, playing Santa and wrestling with my boys and teaching them how to throw a ball. The fact is, there are millions of men who feel the same as I do. Consequently, we deserve the same respect that you expect from us. "Hooray For Kelly Ripa" and all you women who agree with her.