Catcall (noun) - a shrill, whistle-like should to loud raucous shout make to express disapproval.
I wasn't aware that catcalling is literally a negative behavior before I did a little research. Many women feel objectified when being catcalled. I agree.
Personally, I have had several strange men catcall me. On the street, on my college campus, in traffic, and... Target. Seriously, Target. Getting catcalled in the middle of a crowded Target was mortifying. A very loud, direct, "DAMN BABY, CAN I HAVE A RIDE?" sparked this post. I didn't reply to the man who said that to me, but I wish I would have.
As I mentioned before, women have been realizing the problem with catcalling. In this video, a young woman, dressed in everyday attire gets catcalled time after time in a 10-hour experiment, walking about New York City, where she resides. Some viewers have said, "Well, telling someone to smile isn't harassment," "Calling a beautiful woman beautiful isn't a catcall," "She doesn't have to be so rude," and other similar comments. Why do these comments make me upset?
When a man walks down the street, does he get catcalled?
If a woman isn't interested in some stranger, does it seem appropriate for a man to make sexual comments in her direction? No. Is a sexually explicit comment made by a stranger threatening to an American woman? Yes.
Why? 1 in 4 college women are sexually assaulted.
That time I got screamed at in the middle of Target, I was in the store alone, just checking to see if there was a product in-stock. My husband was in the car and I told him what had *just* happened. He asked me if I responded. I told him no.
I'm ashamed of that.
Dylan said, "If there was any public comment ever made to you that deserved your reaction or commentary, it was that one." So, what would I have said to that man?
"Even if I was single and interested, I would never give you the attention you're looking for because your level of disrespect toward ALL women by saying that to me shows that you're nothing but product of the American patriarchy."
Women need to defend themselves from this objectification. It is disgusting and degrading. If we begin to teach men not to do this, correct them if/when they do, we have the ability to change the future for women. This doesn't necessarily mean that the pigs of the country won't stop doing it, but as a society, we must transform the way that those men see us. Women are a minority and this ongoing catcalling proves that. If you get catcalled, remember: it isn't a compliment, it is an insult. Take it as such, be strong, stand your ground, and put that man in his place.
We aren't bitches. We aren't dogs.
We are women. We are human beings.
