Venezuelan social life is still fairly traditional in many settings, so men are often expected to be visibly courteous, protective, and the ones who initiate conversation or pay in dating situations, while women may be treated with old-fashioned chivalry in public. At the same time, big cities are more relaxed and younger people are more open-minded, but very direct comments about a woman’s appearance or a man’s masculinity can still be taken as rude or
macho.