I went for a late night run with my roommate last night. We ran through our town and down pacific coast highway; our usual route when we want to get a couple of miles in after a day’s work. We have taken this route many times before. As we jog down the end of a long stretch before heading back, something happens. And it happens multiple times. From the line of cars slowing to a stop near us…. it begins…. its difficult to make at first but then the roaring becomes clear….. the set up strikes and the men begin making the most annoying and inconsiderate noise out of their silly little mouths… there it was… the Cat Call. Multiple shouts of unknown origin came somewhere from the many vehicles. As my friend and I blast through the sidewalks, we begin rolling our eyes. We image that this sorry excuse for a way to tell a woman she is “hot” is anything but the sort. By the end of hearing three or four repeat attempts to gain our attention, we remain uncomfortable; wanting to give those boys a punch in the face. Yes, boys. We blow it off and go on about our work-out. By the end of our run, I start to wonder…. Where did that cat call come from? And Why do men think that its okay to use?
In the wikipedia, cat calling is described as, “a whistle, shout, or comment of a sexual nature to a woman passing by.” The bottom line is that cat calling is inconsiderate.
In an article that Carlos Andres Gomez wrote on the Good Men Project he rallies for men to grow up. He writes about the wrongs of cat calling. He reports that these unsolicited cries for affection go unattended by women, but men still engage in them. I can’t help but wonder why mama didn’t teach you any manners, and that if you have a comment about a woman being beautiful, you need to tell her politely. Respect is a little thing that goes a long way. Cat calling is no better than any form of sexual harassment that takes place in society today.
When I recently went to Las Vegas on a ladies trip, I was completely enamored by the overall lack of respect and consideration for women. I walked to the restroom and a man grabbed my arm in order to spring chatter in my ear about my looks. Let’s just say, it was not well received. Others in small crowds there thought it okay to grab a women’s ass. I don’t care who she is or what she is wearing, sexual harassment is sexual harassment. Just because a woman is wearing something sexy, does not give you a free pass to act like a dick. Cat calls are trashy. Quarters to your cat calls men, it’s time to buy a clue.
