Catcalling and street harassment is happening more often than you might think

[Powerogue]

The thing to remember is it's not the same guy making all these remarks. It'd be dozens, not coordinated in any way. So this is not harassment. The line for that should follow when the person has been told to stop the behavior and keeps going.

I mean what else do you expect them to say if they don't know you yet, but want to offer a compliment? "Oh hey I'm a real big fan of your personality, how you volunteer at the local soup kitchen." As far as conversation starters, they wouldn't know personal things about you. So they compliment based on what they have to work with.

"Most women don't confront those who make sexist remarks."

Therein lies the problem. How do you expect them to know they're making you uncomfortable if you don't tell them they're making you uncomfortable? They're not some weird breed of alien that can read your mind. They're humans. Treat them like it, and you might just get what you wanted, and get treated like it in return.

[Queen of Hamsters]

Sexual objectification happens every day between both genders.

You think I drool over Hugh Jackman for his personality?

As long as it stays at catcalling (both genders can do this fyi), I see nothing inherently wrong with it. Also, this is oooooooooooooold. It was stupid then to call it sexual harassment when it's individual men doing it, it's equally stupid now.

[Deleted]

I only see/hear this happening in large(r) cities here in the Netherlands and almost always by people with a certain foreign background which shall not be named.

[Deleted]

Streets are a public forum, you can say anything you want, even if you're a crass douche bag,

No more censoring please, move along.

That's not true, there are many ways to break the law with speech in public.

[Toogoodman]

That's not true, there are many ways to break the law with speech in public.

I know, inciting violence, hate speech, and inciting riots. I dont think "sup sexy lady" falls in those brackets tho, that person might be a pig, but lets move along. Funny story tho, when i was in the military, I had to get some dry cleaning done off base during my lunch, i was walking down the sidewalk in uniform, and im also 6'6 which doesnt tend to help this, but i had at least 3 cars of women honking at me yelling "damnnn boy". Shit made me laugh.

[Ghostpanther]

As long as it does not go beyond the cat calls and such type remarks, it is not a big issue. I think it is rude and do not do it myself. Then again, some think staring is rude and I been guilty of that. :P

[Hotmail]

Aren't some women/men into that kind of stuff? I am all for treating people the way they want to be treated. If they haven't yet come to terms with their preferences, well, that's on them.

[Enthusiastic Steward]

The OP clearly states on first line things like "whats'up beautiful" as offensive ... and later on, "gazing" as objectifying
I think they draw the line before "hi". Don't dare look up. You better look at your feet

Yeah I was referring more to the general discussion that followed and not the OPs post, most of which was pretty innocuous stuff.

[ramjb]

How is being sexually objectified a bad thing? I love it when I'm on the dance floor and I notice when a girl is giving me the bedroom eyes.

[Mistame]

"Hey, sexy." "Damn, girl." "What's up, beautiful?"

None of that is "objectification".

Objectification occurs when individuals — typically women — are reduced to their body parts.

Objectification is the act of degrading someone to the status of a mere object. Sexual objectification is treating someone as an instrument of sexual pleasure, with no regard for their personality or dignity. The former is bad. The latter is only bad in an extreme or lewd context and, outside of those contexts, it perfectly natural.

Among Australian women, 87 per cent experience sexual harassment in their lifetimes, with harassment ranging from catcalling and wolf-whistling to more severe forms such as groping and stalking.

Cat-calling is only "harassment" if it's done repeatedly, against the expressed wishes of the person being cat-called. A single catcall is not, by definition, "harassment", sexual or otherwise. Whistling is not "sexual harassment" period.

The most common form was the objectifying gaze (making up 55 per cent of objectifying experiences).

There is no such thing as an "objectifying gaze".

Good luck combating 300 million years of evolution. I wish you the best.

Right?

BTW, for some of the dimwits in the thread, simply looking is not what the article is referring too...you might want to work on your reading comprehension.

You should probably follow your own advice considering the article specifically refers to "objectifying gaze" multiple times.

[Halicia]

How is that sexist? If men are the main cause of the problem,

because they aren't. When it comes to making flirty comments in public, women are just as common offenders as men... but for whatever reason, its "mind rape" when one gender is the recipient, but a compliment when the other gender is the recipient. That's textbook sexism.

[Rudkobing]

I suspected as much but it is good to have cold, hard facts to back this up.

So what we have here is a high incidence and a clear negative impact. Sadly this will not be an easy fix as culture change takes time. The first step though, is recognizing the problem.

You had to bring the 10 hour video back from the grave. It was peacefully resting in its grave. C'thulu would be disappointed.

/fades back into the shadows

[Zython]

Because they can't know what goes through the head of the person who looks in their direction? They might be looking at their purse thinking "gonna buy one of those for my wife". They might think "She reminds me of someone, oh yeah she looks like X" Or whatever.

Yes, I'm sure women are idiots that can't read people. That makes sense.

[Shadowferal]

No different than the street corner preacher screaming at me that I'm damned and need to repent my evil ways.

[Sharein]

TBH, we don't teach most of our men to actually grow up...catcalling and street harassment are just a couple of examples of the larger phenomena.

You mean, men need to be brought up as women?

[Queen of Hamsters]

Wait...haven't you seen his instagram?? He's amaaaaazing. And extra points for being commited to his (older) wife for so long.

Anyway, people who catcall are the lowest demeanor, easy to weed out and I ever were to date a guy those drooling type of idiots wouldn't be it.

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You mean moroccan and antillian??

Shit, I just said the evil words

Yes yes, he's a dreamboat. I still don't know him personally, and have only his acting and looks to go by.
And I'm not exactly admiring his acting when he's Wolverineizing without his shirt on... @.@

[Doctor Funkenstein]

If you're good looking it's OK.

If not, it's harassment.

Not quite.

If a woman isn't attracted to them, it's creepy, stalkerish, or outright harrassment.
If a woman is attracted to them, it's complimentary and charming if not outright romantic.

That extends to just about anything, not just "catcalls." Give a woman a flower, and the above law kicks in. Open a door for a woman, and the above law kicks in. etc.

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The difference being, women aren't the vast majority of the one's raping women or physically assaulting them either. These are facts, not sexist remarks. There's almost never a reason for a man to be scared for his safety because some trashy woman is saying inappropriate things to him out in public.

ROFL.

Yeah, saying something to someone OBVIOUSLY means they're going to rape them on the god damned spot. True story, man. That's 100% of the cases, in fact. You say something, you're a RAPIST. FACT. Oh, and all men are rapists, too! Boogity boogity boo! As opposed to women, 100% of whom are completely innocent! They'd never even say an unkind word about someone, because they have magical vaginas which makes them pure and benevolent in all ways!

Stupid men! <shakes fist> (Oh shit, because I'm a man and I just shook my fist, does that mean I'm going to rape myself? Fuuuuuuck...)

[Raunchy]

Another non issue move along

[endersblade]

Considering I don't think about it, I don't doubt it's happening more often than I might think. I also don't fucking give two shits. It's been going on for probably thousands of years, but now that we have the internet, it's just one more thing for people to go "Mah Matriarchy!" about. Fuck'em. If they're bitching about catcalling, then maybe they aren't actually even worth the time.

[Deleted]

Sounds like jealously, Tennisace.