Wooing the object of your affection, the polite way

But is there another way? a less sordid approach? Enter Ms. Matilda Manners and Ms. Edwina Etiquette, a pair of mysterious Ottawans who have just published A Guide to the Mannerly Wooing and Winning of the Object of Your Affection.

This tidy zine is a spoofy throwback, a pastiche of the guides on proper behaviour that were popular in the 1950s and earlier. Manners and Etiquette offer practical tips (including a handy-dandy flowchart) on how to win over your object of affection. The advice covers such subjects as where to find love - "A simple place to start, many experts theorize, is at a location which either provides alcoholic beverages or live musical entertainment or - in the best possible case - both at one time" - and how to approach a work colleague. They even offer practical suggestions on following up once contact is made and how to plan the difficult first date.

The writing is tongue-in-cheek but done well, drawing on stylized language common to earlier eras (e.g., "canoodling," "buzz off," "piffle," "church mouse" etc.), but there's also a serious side. After all, politeness and good manners might seem outdated, but if they get you laid, then why not?

A Guide to the Mannerly Wooing and Winning of the Object of Your Affection by Ms. Matilda Manners and Ms. Edwina Etiquette, at Venus Envy, 320 Lisgar, on Saturday, November 25, 8 p.m., pay-what-you-can.










 
 

		Write your comment on this article!

Boy was this Good     If not for the review I would have never had the opportunity to have known about this 'zine. It is a rare thing that such a quick read it so rewarding. It is quite ridiculously funny and intelligent. And provides a smart take on the whole dating and etiquette scene of boys and girls. Simply a must.
Reuven De Souza	{9 votes}	March 24th, 2007
The Guide     To Wooing: STEP 1: "BE KIND" STEP 2: "THAT'S IT" STEP 3: "IF THEY DON'T LIKE IT, WHO CARES. YOU'RE BETTER THAN THEM." STEP 4: "AWESOME!"
Jeremy Mesiano-Crookston	{10 votes}	December 11th, 2006
~Chåpter & Verse~     Ok, sure, I like the idea behind 'A Guide to the Mannerly Wooing and Winning of the Object of Your Affection' but it still leaves the fundamental problem for a lot of us, doesn't it? Maybe you can get the door open for you by playing nice but once you're in do you still have to behave or are you expected to get nasty? There are no absolute rules when it comes to relationships and anyone who believes that anyone or anything can give them that roadmap to the human heart is in for a humbling fall. It's nice to imagine a more innocent time and a simpler way of doing things but most of us are so far gone, so damaged and so cynical that we essentially don't trust anything on face value--even basic kindness. Sad but true.
Pedro Eggers	{4 votes}	December 1st, 2006
Wooing & Winning     The good ol days....no chat rooms, no mate matching services, no raunchy websites for pick a date and all that crap out there today. Etiquette and Manners have a good idea...wooing and cooing the old fashioned way. The idea of actually meeting someone face to face in a respectable place and getting to know each other is the only way towards a first date. Here's hoping some of the younger generation takes some of this advice and uses it wisely. They might actually like it!
Jennifer Berardini	{8 votes}	November 24th, 2006

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