Catcalling

[Major Nikon]

Personally I consider this kind of behavior boorish and it should be widely condemned by both men and women. However, there's a pretty interesting opinion on the subject offered by this feminist.

Here is Jessica Valenti's comments on the subject in 2014:

The end of hisses, whistles and stares: we need to walk the streets without fear

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jun/03/women-street-harassment-statistics

Now here's her comments on the subject in 2015:

Men rarely catcall me any more. I hate that our culture makes me miss it

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jun/03/women-street-harassment-statistics

So here's a feminist that on one hand abhors the seemingly unwanted attention of strange men, then admits she misses it when it doesn't happen. Kind of a strange contradiction within her own feelings which she goes to blame on....wait for it....the patriarchy.

Despite some feminist trying to ascribe catcalling behavior to all or most men, it's actually a small minority of clods that do this, and even then usually only when they are in the company of like minded men. There's a much larger segment of both men and women who participate in flirting, and both sexes experience less of this as they become older and/or less attractive. It has pretty much nothing to do with teh patriarchy and much more to do with typical sexual attraction. While I could do without the more assholish manifestations of it, it would kind of suck to live in a world without it. In the case of Ms. Valenti it seems to be a validation of the old adage, 'be careful what you wish for.'

[Warren DeMontague]

1. Well, she got paid for both columns, presumably.

Pretty good gig, getting money for arguing with yourself.

As for catcalling, the one issue I never see addressed in conversations about it, is geography. Almost universally the articles and pieces commenting on it are situated in east coast environs, places like Manhattan and the like.

Never in my entire life have I witnessed that sort of behavior on the streets of, say, Portland or San Francisco. But there are other sorts of obnoxious, boorish behaviors- and a concomitant aggressiveness and in your face 'tude- which seem to correspond to the farther East one goes in the US.

I don't know what the answer there is, but it's an aspect I almost never hear mentioned in those discussions.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

2. The idea of the hooting construction workers is a lot of urban legend

I read a LTTE from a construction foreman asking that people stop perpetrating this myth, because he's seen workers removed from jobs for doing this and nowadays working at a construction job is no different than a corporate job where such shit is not tolerated.

[Warren DeMontague]

3. I suspect what you say is true, although I have no evidence either way.

I've noticed that people tend to be more brash and in your face on the East Coast, but TBH I've never witnessed any actual street harassment there, either.

Anecodotally speaking the "studies" or youtube videos about the subject- at least the ones not totally staged- seem to be all situated on the East Coast.