Hollaback, a non-profit organization aimed to end street harassment, launched a video this past October that captured footage of a woman being catcalled over 100 times as she attempted to enjoy a stroll in Manhattan. Many Americans were outraged by the number of men who actively participated in this lewd behavior. Personally, I was neither surprised nor moved by the overwhelming evidence. Familiar howls of “Hey sweetie” or “Damn baby” have left an unpleasant ringing in my ear for quite some time now. I can recall being catcalled ever since I was around twelve years of age and prior to that, I often witnessed the harassment of my own mother. My experience, similar to the woman in the video, is not outlandish or unique. Instead, catcalling is a reoccurring social practice that reinforces the degradation of all women. My discussions with women here at UCSD only validified my perceptions of catcalling.
“One time I was walking down the street trying to get to the 201 bus stop. This guy in a car right in front of me rolled down his window and yelled at me. He said, “Hey slut, come here!” – Rachel Diaz
“Some guy once blew me a kiss and screamed something from his car while I was driving.”-Lenore Donayre
“I was coming back from my jog and some guy in a pick-up truck kept sticking his head outside the window to yell things at me in an attempt to get my attention.” -Giselle Perez
“I was literally just standing on our balcony with my roommate and some guy drove by on Pangea Drive and whistled at us.” –Rebecca Gosla
“I was walking in PB with my friend while we were bar hopping and a guy was walking towards us. My friend was wearing shorts and when he was passing her, he said ‘I just wanna suck your legs off.’” – Rebecca Whitman
“I went to some Pike’s Frost Party last year and some guy came up to me for the millisecond I was alone and tried so hard. It was right before AOII happened so I said “Sorry, I’m not Greek and I don’t usually attend these things” and he said “What? You’re too beautiful to not be affiliated!” What does that even mean? Some other guy came up to me that night and just said he was in love with me. Also at Sun God two years ago, some guy tried to grab me and told me I should go home with him. Also got my butt grabbed twice and 2-3 times that day and I felt like a piece of meat.” –Taylor Zepeda
“Oh, the worst catcalling experience I’ve had was when a friend of mine (female) and I were walking back to our dorms from the Market (on campus-village) and these two guys drove right past us for a second, backed up and started driving next to us and started talking. “Hey ladies, where are we going tonight?” “You are very beautiful by the way” and just kept driving slowly (walking speed) next to us.”- Kimberly Wong
Defenders of catcalling claim that these remarks should been taken as compliments or flattery. Some even suggest that if the guy was hot, women would find it okay. I find this argument weak because it assumes that women should feel grateful to men solely for acknowledging their physical presence. The consequences of catcalling are bigger than the humiliating effect that it fogs upon us women. Catcalling can offer men entitlement to comment on women’s bodies as if they were judges in an antiquated beauty pageant. This is problematic because it justifies the broadly shared belief that women’s bodies are meant for public consumption.
Here are my favorite ways to respond to catcalling:
- Be Assertive. If someone offends you, don’t be afraid to address their actions.
- Don’t feel obligated to give your attention (or number) to anyone who does not interest you.
- When in doubt, just ignore the situation and keep walking.
Some women can easily ignore harassment, for others it ruins their day. Find the response that best suits your personality and rock it with confidence.
Lastly, to all you notorious catcallers out there, I hope you incorporate different methods into your daily tactics. Remember, there is a difference between “I just wanted to let you know that you look pretty today,” and “Woah, that ass is fine.” Chances are more likely than not, that a special woman in your life has been a victim of catcalling. If you wouldn’t want her to face the belittlement that catcalling brings, there is no reason why you should participate in strengthening this problem with your spews of indecency.