Score another blow for Tradition.
In a new Plunge poll, almost 70% of guys said that they had asked (or planned to ask) her parents' permission.
69% checked off the response: "Yep. Tradition matters," while the rest of the guys selected, "Screw that. What century are we in?"
For most guys it's not an easy call. And things have changed, making it more difficult than ever to know what to do. Back in the good old days when men were men and the bride couldn't vote, you would ask for her father's "permission" as if haggling over cattle.
We've changed. We've evolved. Western Civilization has surged forward: equal pay, women's suffrage, the polio vaccine, mobile porn on the iPhone.
Asking the father, however, is one of those baffling traditions that just won't die, like the NCAAF bowl system or the Electoral College. But it's tricky: some brides find it chauvinistic and condemn it, some prefer it, some demand it.
To ask or not to ask?
If you want the proposal to be a surprise, obviously, you can't seek her input. So you'll need to take your cues from the bride's background. Where's she from? Is her family traditional or progressive? Rednecks or hippies? For two cartoonish extremes, you can use this handy cheat-sheet:
Get the full breakdown at the full article: Asking Her Old Man: Obligatory Or Offensive?
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