Wolf-whistling

[Jazzy]

Wolf-whistling is back in the news this week, after a woman called the police claiming she was being sexually harassed by builders wolf-whistling at her.

Poppy Smart wants more people to call out this type of behavior, but the 23-year-old has been accused of overreacting to something many consider harmless.

Today Good Morning Britain asked the question ‘do you find wolf-whistling offensive?’, asking men and women for their thoughts.

‘It makes their day’
You know what makes our day? A friendly exchange when buying my morning coffee, someone being polite on public transport or just a generally nice gesture made with no ulterior motive. You might think you’re making our day by wolf-whistling and telling me we have nice legs, but you’ve actually just made us feel embarrassed, intimidated and annoyed all at once. Well done.

‘It’s a compliment’
Sure, ‘positive’ comments about someone’s appearance can be interpreted as complimentary. Call us crazy, but we prefer our compliments delivered in a sincere and amiable manner.
This does not included whistling from your great scaffolding structure in the sky, groaning as we walk past, shouting at us from the other side of the street, breathing down the back of our necks at the bus stop or beeping your car horn. Oh, and shockingly, we do not consider being followed a form of flattery.

‘It’s a way of saying hello’
If you want to say hello to us, why not just say hello? If you want us to engage with you, why don’t you engage with us by, er, being engaging?
A whistle, a catcall is essentially the most basic level of patriarchy. Because a woman on the street is public property. Because a woman’s body isn’t her own. It is an object. Your butt, your legs, your face, is for a man to look at and judge whether or not it is worthy of his sexual attention.

‘You should be grateful’
Oh good, you’ve deemed us attractive enough to be worthy of your attention. Thank you so much! It’s always useful to be reminded that we have no value beyond our physical appearance.

‘Most women like it’
Many women don’t have a huge issue with being wolf-whistled – and some people enjoy it. Good for them. But many women don’t like it, and some absolutely hate it. For every person who has enjoyed a nice ego boost after you wolf-whistled, there’s another person who is now planning an alternative route to avoid you in future. Unless you’re certain the recipient of your attention will welcome it, just leave them alone.

‘You’re overreacting… it’s harmless’
It’s difficult to communicate female vulnerability because it’s not always about what’s said, it’s about feeling isolated, targeted and intimidated on an almost daily basis.

Is wolf-whistling offensive? Why/Why not?

 

[DirtRider]

Must be great when your police have nothing better to do then respond to these types of calls

 

[mrldii]

Yup, yup...for all the reasons the article's author mentioned. If it's not intended to be insulting, it's definitely intended to make the whistler feel waaaaay more important than he really is: I did not dress for YOU this morning and my value as a human being does not rely on YOUR critique - which-oh-look-YAY-NESS-is-approval-oh-Praise-Allah!!!

Get over yourself, boys. I was over you, 3 blocks before I arrived at your work site.

 

[Dee]

Yes, it is quite offensive. If women actually wanted you to wolf whistle at them, you'd know it. And yet we have articles and videos and women speaking out against it constantly, but still--for some odd reason--men just aren't getting it through their thick skulls that this isn't a reliable way to tell a woman you think they're attractive and want to fuck them. So just face it: let your balls drop already, or grow a pair if you don't have any, and find the confidence to actually have a civil conversation because that's what'll give you more of a chance than calling out to someone like they're nothing but a piece of meat.

 

[Wonko]

I think wolf whistling may be hardwired into the male brain and is more instinct rather than a conscious thing, and we have to curb the impulse to whistle at women which is what separates the more sophisticated male from his counterparts, so please don't take it too badly if a man whistles at you he almost cant help it.

 

[Dee]

I think wolf whistling may be hardwired into the male brain and is more instinct rather than a conscious thing, and we have to curb the impulse to whistle at women which is what separates the more sophisticated male from his counterparts, so please don't take it too badly if a man whistles at you he almost cant help it.

If it's an "instinct" that's pretty fucking sad. That men have to actually mentally and physically restrain themselves from pursing their lips together and whistling at a woman makes me wonder if many men are just. that. stupid.

 

[Wonko]

If it's an "instinct" that's pretty fucking sad. That men have to actually mentally and physically restrain themselves from pursing their lips together and whistling at a woman makes me wonder if many men are just. that. stupid.

It's possibly part of the same instinct that governs attraction between males and females, I think you are not looking at it from a more scientific detached view rather from a more emotional response, nothing wrong with that I was just trying to show it may be a biological thing from our cave man days.

 

[mrldii]

Mehhhh...men learned how to use utensils when eating; I'm confident with a little effort, they could learn how to actually speak to a woman using actual words, rather than simply whistling at her *like* she's a dog.

 

[Dee]

And not just that, but also try to understand the reasons why it doesn't work as opposed to just using the excuse that it's instinct. If you want to view yourself as nothing but an animal who operates solely on innate behaviors that simply cannot be controlled due to biology, then by all means, do it. But you'll be the one offending yourself.

 

[Wonko]

Mehhhh...men learned how to use utensils when eating; I'm confident with a little effort, they could learn how to actually speak to a woman using actual words, rather than simply whistling at her *like* she's a dog.

I agree, hence the more "sophisticated male" part of my post.

And not just that, but also try to understand the reasons why it doesn't work as opposed to just using the excuse that it's instinct. If you want to view yourself as nothing but an animal who operates solely on innate behaviors that simply cannot be controlled due to biology, then by all means, do it. But you'll be the one offending yourself.

Not saying it's an excuse at all, I get the impression you think I am saying wolf whistling is ok, I am not, just trying to point out where it might come from, I am a believer that a lot of human behaviour is animal based instinct wether we like it or not. To recognise this makes it easier to understand some of the less pleasant human characteristics, and at the end of the day we are just ANIMALS that have more conscious intelligence than other animals on this planet.

 

[mrldii]

@Stuarth

Oh, WE understand where it comes from...

 

[DirtRider]

 

[DirtRider]

However back in NYC

 

[mrldii]

Wait.

I thought men hate the *fact* that women are materialistic and shallow?!? Many of those men didn't seem to MIND that those (young, blond, half-dressed) women were only interested in how much money they had, how thick their wallets were, and how big their houses - IF they owned 'em - were.


*Odd*.



THAT was a precious and priceless video!!!

 

[mrldii]

However back in NYC

Of COURSE he was...did you see what he was wearing?!? Tight t-shirt, even tighter jeans (leaving NOthing to the imagination) and a come-hither smirk on his face...


...why, he was practically begging for *it*!!!


~pfffftttt~




Oh, and boys...remove the air-quotes around the word "harassment"...just because YOU would "enjoy" and "welcome" it, doesn't mean we would/should. "Equal" doesn't have to mean "as low as".

Thaaaaa-aaaaanks!!!

 

[michonne]

I don't recall ever being whistled at....most likely I'd think it was directed at someone other than me and be oblivious to it

 

[Bluezone777]

I think the issue is the person doing it perceives it as harmless but doesn't realize it's the perceptions of the recipient that matter not their own. If the recipient of this behavior finds it harmful then it is.

Another issue is those women who wear revealing clothing that provokes a man to think a certain way about such women and they bring the attention to themselves. This choice in clothing doesn't justify what a man does in response to seeing it but it is being provocative and it is up to the woman to do her part in not encouraging nor provoking such behavior out of a man. It is also up to the man to control himself and not allowed his hormones to dictate his actions and behavior. It's up to a woman if she wants to help a man control himself or make it harder and that really all depends on the choice of clothing she chooses to wear. Either way, it doesn't justify a man cat calling a woman when she has made it known she doesn't want that from him but if you want to achieve success in not being catcalled then it is only the smart thing to do whatever you can to help matters.

 

[Raven]

In my oppinion the countries gone mad, people find every thing offensive these days.

A man thinks a woman is hot, or visa versa they whistle. WOW big deal!!!! I smile. Its a compliment to me, that doesnt make me cheap, that makes me apprieate that I look freaking good!!
Making it an offense to wolf whistle is pathetic, what happened to freedom of speech? Its another waste of police resources.

 

[mrldii]

...Another issue is those women who wear revealing clothing that provokes a man to think a certain way about such women and they bring the attention to themselves. This choice in clothing doesn't justify what a man does in response to seeing it but it is being provocative and it is up to the woman to do her part in not encouraging nor provoking such behavior out of a man. It is also up to the man to control himself and not allowed his hormones to dictate his actions and behavior. It's up to a woman if she wants to help a man control himself or make it harder and that really all depends on the choice of clothing she chooses to wear. Either way, it doesn't justify a man cat calling a woman when she has made it known she doesn't want that from him but if you want to achieve success in not being catcalled then it is only the smart thing to do whatever you can to help matters.

Oh, my!!! WOMEN are that powerful?!?


Perhaps we all should wear burqas and/or not go out in public. Yanno, so as to not tempt you poor boys who are so helpless once your hormones start a-raging and cause y'all to lose the ability to exercise self-control.

 

[Jazzy]

It's offensive and the sexual element is obvious. It’s a negative form of communication for various reasons.

The following list not exhaustive:
1) It’s not unreasonable for a woman to think she's able to walk down the street without men making unsolicited comments, verbal or otherwise, on her sexual attractiveness.

2) It’s often accompanied by either comments on the woman’s body or an actual approach; this behavior feels threatening and dehumanizing.

3) It’s actually not about attraction. It’s about a homosocial showing off to other men, and about putting women in their place. If you don’t agree, I guess you have never seen the ‘gotcha’ look in a guy’s eyes when he knows he’s made you uncomfortable. Believe me, I've seen that look way too many times.

In closing, it's not always done because of what a woman is wearing. Maybe the men like they way she walks, smiles or her hair. So please don't even try to blame this solely on revealing clothing. I don't wear revealing clothing but even if I did, I have the right to walk where I want and not be bothered. Men: save your wolf-whistling for when you're calling your dog.