Catcalling [View all]

[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.'