Speaking of MANners... Have you see the new Dockers ad campaign?

Dockers® Store Online - Live Khaki

Good old Dockers is telling men to put on the pants. Here is the “Man-ifesto”

“Once upon a time, men wore the pants, and wore them well. Women rarely had to open doors and little old ladies never had to cross the street alone. Men took charge because that’s what they did. But somewhere along the way the world decided it no longer needed men. Disco by disco, latte by foamy non-fat latte, men were stripped of their khakis and left stranded on the road between boyhood and androgyny. But today there are questions our genderless society has no answers for. The world sits idly by as cities crumble, children misbehave and those little old ladies remain on one side of the street. For the first time since bad guys, we need heroes. We need grown ups. We need men to put down the plastic fork, step away from the salad bar, and untie the world from the tracks of complacency. It’s time to get your hands dirty. It’s time to answer the call of manhood. It’s time to wear the pants.”

"Disco by disco, latte by foamy non-fat latte, men were stripped of their khakis and left stranded on the road between boyhood and androgyny." You gotta love that line!

All I gotta say is, "You go, Dockers!"

General Life MANners

I have thoroughly enjoyed the lively discussion these suggestions have made on the blog and Facebook. Here are a few more. Am I a prude? A prig? An out-dated goody-two-shoes?

• Opening doors for others. When going into buildings, allow women and elders to go first and open the door for them. When preceding others into a building, don't let the door slam in the face of those behind, but hold the door until the person behind can grab it. If someone holds the door for you, then remember to say "thank you." Elevators/Transit: allow those in the elevator/subway to exit first before entering. Same with buildings or rooms - if someone is exiting the building or room through the same door you are entering, let them exit first.
• Remove your hat when sitting down to eat, at the playing of the national anthem or during prayer. Some men prefer to not wear hats indoors as a sign of respect.
• Don’t phone before 7:00 am and after 10:00 pm [unless in an emergency].
• When on the phone, don't talk with others in the room. Also, leave the room to talk in private if at all possible.
• Clean up after yourself. Especially when you are visiting a friend’s home.
• Smile. Your whole demeanor should be pleasant and well-mannered and respectful. Take your time and observe people – do they take their shoes off, then you probably should too.

Eating MANners

Here are some more MANners for you gentlemen to "chew on."  Not everyone has liked my suggestions so far, yet they don't seem to give a lot of reasons why in the comments.  Tell us why you think these are off-base.

• Never talk when there is food in your mouth.
• Avoid chewing your food with your mouth open.
• Sit up straight in your chair.
• At formal meals, stand whenever a lady sits or gets up from table.
• Learn place settings. It is not that hard!
• Simply use utensils in order as the meal is served.
• Place your napkin on your lap.
• Cut meat with your knife in your right hand and fork in left. Then transfer utensils to take a bite. (Reverse if left-handed.) There is some variance of opinion on whether or not one should cut all the meat at once and then eat, or cut one piece at a time.
• Never use your fingers to push food onto your fork. That is what your knife is for.
• Do not eat until the host has picked up her utensil. Also, do not begin to eat until you have been passed all of the food. Wait until everyone is served before eating.
• Eat slowly and don't gobble up the food. Someone took a long time to prepare the food, enjoy it slowly. Slowly means to wait about 5 seconds after swallowing before getting another forkful.
• When eating rolls, tear off a piece of bread before buttering. Do not cut your roll with your knife but break in pieces with your hands.
• Don’t clear the dishes off the table until everyone has finished eating.
• Don’t start eating your dessert until the hostess sits down and begins hers. This may mean you have to sit looking at an incredible piece of dessert for some time. Deal with this. :-)

Dress MANners

So, we had a great time thinking through those manners that are particularly necessary for men living in Toronto in 2009.

I began our time by listing some benefits for having and using MANners (some a little tongue-in-cheek).

You should use good manners for these reasons:

• You will offend less people.
• Women will find you more attractive if you are single.
• Married women will not be so disgusted at you.
• You will likely appear smarter than you really are and that may get you a raise.
• It is a way to love others.
• You will likely gain more opportunities for the Gospel.

The we looked at some manners for dress.

Dress

• Dress suitable for the occasion. Funerals and weddings generally require jacket and tie. Your 1993 high school jacket is probably due for retirement.
• Avoid wearing objectionable images on your clothing
• Do not expose your underwear. The only one who finds your underwear-exposure or “plumber-butt” sexy is you. And that is disgusting.
• Unless planning on completing some manual labour, why not dress like you would for a casual date with your lady.

What do you think?  Are we on the right track?