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White Knighting

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Rellik

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This one goes out to all of or female members. I've always been curious about what women think about the White Knight phenomenon that's so rampant on the internet. Have any of you ever been White Knighted? How'd you take it? Were you flattered, annoyed?
 
In my experience, anybody who responds to a female on the internet with anything other than "Tits or GTFO" is at risk of being labeled a White Knight. It's a phenomenon invented by guys who think the only possible reason any man could have for treating a woman with respect is the possibility of sex.
 
The defendee doesn't have to be female. It's perfectly possible to whiteknight just to look like a cool hero.
 
Eevee said:
The defendee doesn't have to be female. It's perfectly possible to whiteknight just to look like a cool hero.
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Completely true, of course. But 9 out of 10 times, it's usually a male trying to defend some perceived "damsel in distress".
 
In my experience, I've found that people who easily toss around "white knight" are typically misogynists who are angry that someone doesn't see things their way.
 
fate said:
In my experience, I've found that people who easily toss around "white knight" are typically misogynists who are angry that someone doesn't see things their way.
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Mind elaborating a little more on that one? What kind of experiences have you had that made you come to a conclusion like that?
 
Eevee said:
The defendee doesn't have to be female. It's perfectly possible to whiteknight just to look like a cool hero.
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No, a "white knight" specifically refers to someone who treats a woman with respect for the sole purpose of getting in her pants. Someone who's just nice for no reason is not a white knight.
 
Incorrect. (warning: encyclopedia dramatica) And it's not being nice for no reason; it's springing to anyone's defense far more eagerly than necessary for socially-inept and largely self-interested reasons.

But, as with many things on the Internet, in the hands of the masses it really means "something or someone I don't like".
 
Rellik said:
Mind elaborating a little more on that one? What kind of experiences have you had that made you come to a conclusion like that?
Click to expand...

It's mostly a certain board that will remain unnamed. They have a very antagonistic view of females in general, if you disagree with any of their generalizations, you're called a white knight.
 
fate said:
It's mostly a certain board that will remain unnamed. They have a very antagonistic view of females in general, if you disagree with any of their generalizations, you're called a white knight.
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This board you speak of...Would I be in violation of rules 1 and 2 if I were to talk about it?
 
I've never heard "white knighting" to mean anything specifically regarding females. Only about defending others from trolls to the point where you become a troll yourself.
 
Yeah, I too was under the assumption it was a person who rigorously defends everyone for the sole purpose of defending them.
 
White Knighting pretty much refers to trying to defend or aid a person that you normally wouldn't, but you are now because the person would (or hopes to) selfishly benefit from it. Whether it's an expected direct benefit, like gaining in favour from the person you're defending, or an expected indirect benefit, like expecting to look like a nice guy.
Of course, it depends on that the person is actually being (at least a little) hypocritical, and wouldn't defend another person in a different situation but the exact same problem.


It's just applied to women most of the time because... well, that's just when it happens the most. Really because of three main points, in order of most frequent:
1: The White Knight thinks, intentionally or not, that women should be treated differently to men. Whether it's things like "don't hit a woman" or "women's feelings are more powerful than men's", it's always really jarring. Especially so when it comes across as, despite that women are as frequent on the internet as men, that the WK thinks that they have to voice women's opinions themselves.
2: The White Knight is just trying to gain popularity with the woman in question. It should be rare, since people stop doing that once they have a maturity age of a proper 12-year-old, but... well, there's a big difference between a "proper" kid and an "average" kid. [insert biased slander of people on internet here]
3: The White Knight just believes that most people on the internet discriminate against women and that they should be sort of "balancing it out". Of course, hardly any internet-goers do have something against women, but it's one of the internet stereotypes so a lot of people think they do.



Of course, saying people White Knight people who they have clearly no intention of dating because they want to look good to women is... just wrong. Well okay, they are, but they're trying to look good to everyone, not just potential dates.


EDIT: Whoops, I guess my post came out... rather messed up and confusing. But I'm not really sure how to change that though. Sorry about that.
 
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I've encountered White Knights before, defending a guy.

Of course, they turned into trolls not long after.

This is unsurprising when you consider who it was...

scarychris.jpg
 
I clicked the thread expecting a discussion about White Knight Chronicles, but this works too. XD I've never seen anyone White Knighting around, but then again, I don't go to places that are too filled with crazy people.
 
MechPlasma said:
Of course, hardly any internet-goers do have something against women, but it's one of the internet stereotypes so a lot of people think they do.
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Lol no. The people who spend the most time online are loser men between the ages of 14-35, and there's an above average rate of misogymy among them, probably because the internet offers anonymity and a lack of accountability. Whatever someone's motives for defending a woman online from asinine abuse, it's generally a good thing and should be encouraged. Chivalry ftw.
 
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