On my last blog about chivalry and sexism, my old friend/classmate/fellow blogger, Kara asked me whether or not it makes me angry when guys whistle or cat-call at me from their car windows as they drive by.
The answer to this is a great big YES! I'll admit, when I was younger, it used to give me a little rush when random guys would whistle at me or whoop and holler as I walked by (probably because I saw it happen to all my friends, but rarely--if ever--to me). But, as I got older, more mature and a little more self-confident, it just became irritating, and actually made me feel worse about myself rather than better.
Yesterday, my roommate and I were taking a walk around our block in just our comfy jeans and t-shirts when a girl in tight capris and high heels crossed the street in front of us. As a car full of college-age guys was driving by, they rolled down their windows and started whistling, yelling things like "Ow ow!" at the girl. I was disgusted at their behavior, but my roommate was jealous! She said something about how only the dressed-up girls get attention. Rather than start an argument, I kept my mouth shut.
That night we went out with a couple other friends, and my roommate had way too many drinks. We ended up literally carrying my roommate out of the bar before she could yell any more insults at the bartender who hadn't made her last drink strong enough, and probably get us kicked out for good. As we slowly made our way back to my car, a silver car pulled up beside us and rolled down their windows.
"Wooo! Hey mama, you lookin' good!" I rolled my eyes, clenched my teeth, and picked up the pace a little.
"Hey baby, how you doin'?" I looked over at my oh-so-drunk roommate in horror as she tried to seductively stumble closer to their car. What the hell?!
"Pretty good baby, how you doin'? What are you doin', you wanna go to a party? Come on, come home with us, baby!"
I turned to the car and said "No. You're done. You need to go now." I all but shoved my roommate--and her drunken protests--into the back of my car.
It may be hypocritical since I have been one of these girls in the past, but I cannot understand how girls get anything good out of being ogled like a piece of meat or hollered at like livestock.
This is my personal perspective: If someone called you a hooker, you'd most likely be offended, right? If someone mistakenly propositioned you as a hooker, you'd be pretty angry, right? If someone in any way treated you like a hooker, you would get really pissed, right? Well, If you take these guys who do all the cat-calling from their cars and put them on the Las Vegas strip or Hollywood Boulevard, do you really think you would hear them saying something different to the girls who make their living on street corners? Hmm...
Maybe it's just me, but I do not care to be treated like a street-walker, and for the record, I don't think "Nice ass!" is ever a valid compliment.
GREAT POST! Wow, I'm so glad you addressed this, and it makes me happy to see it so well explained. You took the words right out of my mouth!
ReplyDeleteThe only thing that sucks, in response to the other comment up there, is that yelling at guys doesn't have the same effect it does for women. There's no social baggage there, no history of repression or "rape culture," as it's called. There's just no equivalent way to make those guys feel like total shit. The bastards. *shakes fist in the air*
However, I do flip them off and will continue to do so. Also, when at the bars, if a guy yells anything at any girl, I find a way to sneak a quick elbow into his kidney if the opportunity presents itself. Nothing more satisfying, if you ask me.