Rita Ora Proposed To Her Boyfriend—Here's Why It's Cringe When Girls Propose To Their Boyfriends

Rita Ora's boyfriend, filmmaker Taika Waititi, recently revealed to Vogue that the singer proposed to him. “She proposed to me, and I said yes instantly,” he recalled.

The couple first met in 2018 at a barbecue Waititi hosted at his L.A. home, but it wasn't until years later – when they were both filming in Australia – that they began dating. The duo made their debut together for the first time in 2021 at the Suicide Squad premiere.

Ora proposed to Waititi while they vacationed in Palm Springs in 2022, and they planned a wedding in L.A. weeks later, on August 4. The married couple looks incredibly happy together like they always do on their red-carpet appearances.

It's been one year since Waititi and Ora sweetly tied the knot, but it's clear that they're still in the honeymoon phase. “Same. I can’t believe it’s been a year,” Ora told Vogue. “It feels like nothing’s changed since the day I met him at the barbecue. It just feels so good to be with my best friend.” They certainly look incredibly cheery, and I'm so glad it all worked out for the both of them – but we definitely can't say the same about the other women who proposed to their boyfriends.

Look on TikTok, YouTube, or Twitter, and you'll find videos of women proposing to their men, and the majority of the guys do say yes (then again, who would upload the videos of themselves getting rejected?). But a lot of them also stand there awkwardly, appearing unenthused. This could be because proposing is seen as masculine, much like covering the bill on the date or buying flowers for a girlfriend.

When a girl proposes, there's this innate, visceral reaction that many people get. You could call it cringe or embarrassment, but it's not often received well because we see this act as being reserved for men. As tradition would have it, the custom of men bending the knee to their beloved women stems from medieval knights bowing before noblewomen. It's a beautiful sentiment, as it's men asking their lover to be their wife. Kneeling was seen as an act of respect, loyalty, and admiration. It's a beautiful gesture of honor and reverence for the woman he loves. When women do it, it signals desperation to a lot of people.

But going back to modern times, these women-to-men proposals don't often work because, in today's relationships, women are usually ready before the men are. We also have a lot of agreed-upon rules in society that our civilization still goes by, and men proposing instead of women is one of them, despite what you see on social media now. Therefore, men in relationships understand that they call the shots regarding life-long commitments. They know they will have to propose, so they don't expect their girlfriends to be the ones bending the knee.

In relationships, unless both parties don't want to sign papers, there's typically a reason why a man hasn't proposed yet. The reasons vary – he's either not emotionally ready, he's not where he wants to be financially, or he still has other options he wants to explore. He's still unsure, and women shouldn't take this into their own hands and force a wedding via proposals when this is the case. Furthermore, women proposing is somewhat similar to picking up men's slack – if he didn't invest effort into committing, it raises the question of whether he'll demonstrate dedication in other facets of the relationship.

Proposing takes decisiveness, a trait that men need to embody once again for women to fall into their femininity and grace. We're in 2023, but girls are hungry for romance and chivalry. They want to be pursued. They want to feel desired and adored. Male birds show off to their potential female mates. As he twirls, flutters, and calls out to his chosen one, he says, "I'm here, and I'm willing to put in the effort to win your heart." As nature would have it, women also want to be courted.

So next time you're thinking about proposing to your man, you have to ask, "Why?" Are you doing it out of fear that he won't ever propose or that it will take a long time? If so, why would you want to keep chasing someone who doesn't have the same values as you? If your partner's outlook on marriage significantly diverges from yours, it's better to call it off. You deserve a knight, a man whose commitment is as true as his chivalry.

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