Dear little boys (or should I say grown men who act like little boys),
No guy knows what it’s like to be a real man these days, am I right? Seriously. Real men do not watch 5 football games in a row. Real men do not act too tough to cry. And real men do not treat a woman like she is unimportant. One of the manliest men I know is Atticus Finch. (Too bad To Kill a Mockingbird is fiction, am I right ladies?) What a guy. Here are my reasons:
1. He stands up for what he believes in.
Good old Atticus knew that standing up for what he believes in is real risky, yet he does it anyway because it’s the right thing to do. See, the guys that my friends complain about don’t treat them right in front of his friends because it’s not cool. Atticus defended a Black man in the South during the 1950s. See what I’m trying to say here?
2. He has a quiet dignity.
Atticus would never show off just to make himself seem more impressive. Compare that to every other guy in the world. All they ever do is show off. To girls, to guys, to everyone. The sad part is that no one really cares whether or not you can do a triple back flip off of a diving board.
3. He is great with kids.
Look at Scout for example. Scout is Atticus’ daughter who knew how great of a man he was. “He would return his hat to his head, swing me to his shoulders in her very presence, and we would go home in the twilight. It was times like these when I thought my father, who hated guns and had never been to any wars, was the bravest man who ever lived.” I hope Scout ended up marrying someone just as great as Atticus. (Once again, I know they’re fiction but let a girl dream, right?)
4. He sees everyone’s point of view.
At one part of the book, he tells Scout that she needs to climb around in other people’s skin and walk around in it. Do you know any guys that give advice like this? I sure don’t.
Besides the fact that Gregory Peck (who is smokin’ hot) played Mr. Finch in the movie, Atticus is my dream man. If I ever met a guy in college like this, I would be one weak-in-the-knees girl.
I love you Atticus. Don’t ever change.
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I loved this article. Atticus Finch is my all-time favorite character. I’m also kind of shocked by many of the responses posted here. This article is clearly all in good fun. Who wouldn’t want a man like Atticus? I have one. Anyway, give the girl a break. If you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t post a response.
My husband is actually like this. That’s why I knew I wanted to marry him about 2 months into the relationship. Before that, I had been the girl who wouldn’t even say “I love you” for at least the first year! He is totally awesome and I am so lucky to have him! For example the other day, I was having an argument with my brother, and didn’t want to go to a family gathering because he would be there. My husband said, “I love you and we’ll do whatever you choose, but think about if you want to stoop to his level, or swallow your anger, however justified, and be the better person?” It was one of those moments when you know you picked a good one.
For the record, my boyfriend is a REAL man and he watches 5 football games in a row, with me happily doing the same by his side. Women like football too ya know
I don’t think it’s a shallow article. It’s her opinion and yes, maybe she’s blatantly generalizing, but it’s also possible that she never met guys who don’t act like boys. Honestly, I know like one, maybe two guys who are real men; the rest falls perfectly into her generalization. And the whole “Chivalry is Dead and Women Killed it” speech is just a lame excuse for not trying harder. And, while we’re on the subject, isn’t it just blatant generalization too?
Lol! You’re right about that. We’re not great catches or princesses, some of us are the reason why The Evil Queen in Snow White was invented in the first place. Maybe some of us do feel entitled to be treated like that, with guys opening doors and stuff, but that’s the way we were taught, just like it was the way you were taught. Honestly, I get very surprised if a guy opens the door for me, I appreciate it and I’m not really expecting it. I open doors for guys all the time… I don’t think expecting a kind behavior means chivalry is dead. And shouldn’t you be a gentlemen despite that, and despite not all women deserving it?
I’m sorry to tell you but Chivalry is dead due to a few things, one of these things is woman (not all, but over time it most likely felt like all) starting with females feeling in-titled to it. A guy getting the check, opening the door for them etc. was there right as a female. Some of us guys still do it, because we have been taught too, just like I still open the door for older people, help people across the street, always say please and thank you, give up my seat on the bus etc. But even that is now getting to a point were people just expect all those things.
If I see one more image on Facebook with text over it saying, every girl should be treated like a princess, every girl is a catch, every female should be treated like this this this and this, or anything along those lines I will vomit. I’m sorry females, your all not princesses and great catches. Actually some of you are monsters, and terrible catches, and don’t deserve to be treated how you think you are suppose to be treated.
If any man wrote an article saying, “How to be a real Woman” they would be torn apart.
End of rant lol.
“Compare that to every other guy in the world. All they ever do is show off.”
Oh come on, blatant generalizations like this just make this already shallow article even more superficial..
if we ask guys to act like this, shouldn’t we all act lady-like? You know, like ______ (strong and ladylike female character or real person – I’ve been at work for 12 hours so my brain is mushy). While dudes playing video games (really, HALO?) and acting like they’re 12 is lame, Hello Kitty is not appropriate for anyone over the age of 8. Like, not even ironically. Just sayin’ we all need to grow up and not chase ‘___(age) is the new ____(-10 year age)’. Enough with cool mom & dads! And short skirts over 40! Seriously!
I’m always caught off guard by articles like this, because I have a great boyfriend and a great brother and a great dad and great male friends who would bend over backwards for a girl in a second. And I don’t think they should have to. It defies equality. There is thoughtlessness in both sexes. because people are individuals not solely defined by their sex. I do love how pro-femme this site is, so I know this was only in that frame of mind, but I would hate for the articles to become unjustly polarized for the sake of making an argument.
While Atticus Finch is a great man, I cannot stand the book or movie. I know, this puts me in a category that shuns me from the rest of the world.
“No guy knows what it’s like to be a real man these days, am I right?” This article off the bat rubs me the wrong way.
If their are no “Real Men” their are no “Real Woman”, just saying.
Ryan Gosling totally fits the criteria. Just sayin’.
Great article, but the whole “a real man is the following” angle sort of distracts from the point you seem to be trying to make – that is, how to be a morally upright person. Again, it’s a well-written (and well-intending, I assume) article but playing into the whole “Real Men” thing can come across as a little bit unfair to say that a person is wrong if they don’t fulfill what is expected of a “Real Man”.
Even agreeing with you as I do, to use a fiction character to show how a real man should be is kind of contradictory… no real examples you can think of?
Love Atticus and Gregory Peck.
I agree wholeheartedly. I love that man almost as much as I love the book. Thank you for posting this.
It’s so true– honor and chivalry are things of the past! Every boy should be required to read To Kill A Mockingbird in school. (Oh wait, we all are required to read this book at one point or another in school, and still men act like little boys…??) Let’s just hope something changes soon, or fiction and history books are going to be the only places we can get this stuff!
I just wanted to say in response to the “Chivalry is Dead…” YouTube link, that I really liked it (with a few exceptions) and that the title alone really doesn’t do it justice.
Chivalry is dead and woman killed it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymNdfdQvdVc
Gregory Peck is the man.
The book takes place during the 1930s, not 1950s.