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If you’re female or fem-presenting, chances are you’ve been the target of catcalling at some point in your life. Some members of the Tartan Editorial board got together to discuss this issue. Well, it was more like we joked about the stupidity of some of the things that have been yelled at us. Don’t get us wrong, catcalling can be a precursor to very serious situations. But sometimes in order to process traumatic events like this, it is good to find the humor in it. Most guys will hit you with a presumptuously-toned, “Hey, how you doin’?” (Sorry to Joey Tribbiani, but the line is not that good.) But the more specific guys get, the more likely they are to say something strange, ridiculous, or offensive.
One editor recalled a time in which they were waiting to cross the street on a cold winter’s day, covered head-to-toe in many layers. Hauling a small pink suitcase and warm in their neon yellow pom pom hat, a catcall was probably the last thing they expected that day. They were the only one waiting when a car drove by and a guy hung his head out the window to yell, “Slut!” To this day they are confused by the implication of the slur, since they were dressed in the least promiscuous way possible. We also discussed the harrowing reality that all of us were catcalled much more when we were much younger. Another one of our editors recalled that the first time they were catcalled was at age 11.
According to findings published in the Psychology and Sexuality Journal, most men indicated that they perceived catcalling as a form of flirtation, not as harassment like women experience it. To us, and I assume many of you, this idea is hilarious. It seems so clear that making an unsolicited sexual comment towards a woman on the street would be considered abhorrent. If most men truly feel this way, we think they should get more creative. Get Shakespearean with it!
In all seriousness, please don’t. None of us want to hear your inner thoughts about how we look when we’re just trying to go to the pharmacy, get to class, or go to the bar. Keep it to yourself.
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