It's Confirmed, Men Are Pigs!

[Cerealman]

Finally learning something from your elders I see.

Well I did turn 18 two months ago. I'm a big boy now

[myth]

Not everything I saw in that video was harassment. A lot was, but not all.

I'm also curious to what degree cultural differences play in the perception here. Here in the South, it's considered polite to offer a greeting when you pass someone on the street. You may not offer a greeting to everyone if there are a lot of people walking by (sheer practicality), but it's usually considered a little rude / off-putting to refuse eye contact and to not offer a greeting if you're the only two passing each other on the sidewalk. I wonder: do Northerners find the video, on average, to be more offensive than Southerners?

[Cerealman]

Not everything I saw in that video was harassment. A lot was, but not all.

I'm also curious to what degree cultural differences play in the perception here. Here in the South, it's considered polite to offer a greeting when you pass someone on the street. You may not offer a greeting to everyone if there are a lot of people walking by (sheer practicality), but it's usually considered a little rude / off-putting to refuse eye contact and to not offer a greeting if you're the only two passing each other on the sidewalk. I wonder: do Northerners find the video, on average, to be more offensive than Southerners?

I've lived in Ga,Pa, and MN and in all three states since I'm an introvert I rather not speak to people, but if I do make eye contact I do say hi and they say hi back.

[Jedidiah]

Yes, cat-calling is harassment. It creates a feeling of vulnerability among many victims, it necessarily objectifies them and definitely causes many women to act in ways that they otherwise wouldn't to avoid confrontation.

Virtually none of what's shown in this video is acceptable. It's very diminishing and often enough outright threatening.

I did not watch the video and I actually agree with you on this.

[Jedidiah]

Well I did turn 18 two months ago. I'm a big boy now

Did I tell you happy birthday two months ago?

[Catholicity]

by the way, its polite to wave or say hello in the south. Cat calls are unacceptable, and if you greet a woman in a "cat call manner" whose a victim of sexual harrassment, you'll get kicked in the nuts. FYI

[Truthseeker]

I guess the video that I hope will be taken in Charleston, S.C. would show different behavior. Obviously, perhaps.

[Cerealman]

Did I tell you happy birthday two months ago?

Nope.

[Sparko]

They wanted your rum, you silly!

Yeah, well I showed them!!! I said "Hi" right back at them and even a full "Hello" to one particularly overly-friendly person. See how they liked that!

[Sparko]

Yes, unsolicited compliments are street harassment" is a good read.

It depends on where you are. Here in the south we are just friendly and say hi and God bless you to folk we see on the street. One of the things I disliked about visiting up North in yankee country was how cold and unfriendly every one was, always in a hurry to be somewhere and never even made eye contact with anyone on the street much less say "howdy"

Now saying things like "dang you are fine" and "give me some of THAT" and whistling and such to a woman on the street, that I agree is harassing, or can be. Depends on the woman really. Some women like the attention while others do not. Better to err on the side that does not in my opinion.

[Sam]

It depends on where you are. Here in the south we are just friendly and say hi and God bless you to folk we see on the street. One of the things I disliked about visiting up North in yankee country was how cold and unfriendly every one was, always in a hurry to be somewhere and never even made eye contact with anyone on the street much less say "howdy"

Now saying things like "dang you are fine" and "give me some of THAT" and whistling and such to a woman on the street, that I agree is harassing, or can be. Depends on the woman really. Some women like the attention while others do not. Better to err on the side that does not in my opinion.

[Sam]

From that article:



That doesn't seem to follow. If I, a guy, offer a different greeting to other guys than I offer to women, I don't see why that makes the other greeting harassment.

FWIW, I've never done anything like what's in the video.

Edit: It's like holding a door open for someone. I try to hold the door open for ladies because I was taught that it's a sign of respect. It frankly kind of weirds me out when a guy holds a door open for me, but it's not harassment. I just shrug inwardly and say thanks.

I think the point is that a lot of men -do- act like what the video depicts and that makes public interaction with strangers carry an element of risk at all times for women. And I don't think there's any question that women get singled out for attention in public.

So the point here, I think, is showing just how frequent catcalling and harassment are and how that creates, over the course of even one day, an uncomfortable, if not downright threatening, environment for women in public. I do not think the point is to label every interaction between a woman and a stranger in public harassment. Those of us who don't harass women in public still need to be very cognizant of the culture, though, and understand these women's point of view.

[Sparko]

And I believe that's what might be getting missed by the folks making the argument that a lot of this is just polite hellos. Given that the problem of catcalling and "street harassment" is so common, a woman cannot necessarily take even a polite hello at face value — just like that man who followed this woman for five minutes illustrates, there's always a real risk that a "polite hello" is just as much a solicitation as an explicit catcall. And when women are faced with a culture of catcalling, it forces a change in public behavior. Even in places where friendly hellos are common in public (I haven't noticed too much difference between the South and Northern Midwest in this aspect), the prevalence of harassment in public places makes such pleasantries a real threat to women.

I think in general it shows the attitude of the women more than anything else. Feminists like to claim they are equal to men and rant and rage a lot, but when it comes down to it, they are scared of someone even saying "hello" to them on the street.

Catholicity is right. Down here, most southern women would verbally castrate you if you harassed them - they are not as afraid as a group as some of these yankee feminists are. Then they would go home and fry some chicken and bake a pie.

[Sam]

I think in general it shows the attitude of the women more than anything else. Feminists like to claim they are equal to men and rant and rage a lot, but when it comes down to it, they are scared of someone even saying "hello" to them on the street.

Given the nature of sexual harassment and assault and the vastly disproportionate threat to women than to men, this seems a particularly callous and dumb thing to say.

Catholicity is right. Down here, most southern women would verbally castrate you if you harassed them - they are not as afraid as a group as some of these yankee feminists are. Then they would go home and fry some chicken and bake a pie.

I have not seen any data suggest that women in the South are less perturbed by or more active against street harassment than women in the North. And this isn't about being afraid (which is an emotional response) — this is about being threatened (which is an intruding action) — harassment is harassment, whether or not a particular woman is afraid of the perpetrator.

[Cerealman]

I think the point is that a lot of men -do- act like what the video depicts and that makes public interaction with strangers carry an element of risk at all times for women. And I don't think there's any question that women get singled out for attention in public.

So the point here, I think, is showing just how frequent catcalling and harassment are and how that creates, over the course of even one day, an uncomfortable, if not downright threatening, environment for women in public. I do not think the point is to label every interaction between a woman and a stranger in public harassment. Those of us who don't harass women in public still need to be very cognizant of the culture, though, and understand these women's point of view.

You were wrong when you said "a lot of men".