Catcalling Collection (Part 1): What is catcalling?

 What is street harassment and catcalling? 

A little history lesson: The history of catcalling (or more specifically the 'wolf whistle) is open to more than one interpretation, but there are some explanations of where the practice began to have grip on the people in society and how the term itself came about.  According to Sparklle Rainne who wrote an article for www.regain.us, most people ascribe the popularity of catcalling to the work of Tex Avery, a man known for his groundbreaking cartoons. The leading origin of catcalling in media (and, as a result, in American culture) is a piece by Avery, in which a wolf clearly whistles and drools over a singing lady, apparently so overcome by the attraction. Don’t worry, I got you ;) Watch the clip of the Wolf wolf whistling below:

According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, catcalling can be defined as “the act of shouting harassing and often sexually suggestive, threatening, or derisive comments at someone publicly.

Catcalling is also known as ‘street harassment.

Everyone is on the receiving end of street harassment, but women are much more commonly victims of harassment by men. According to Harvard Law Review (1993), street harassment is considered harassment done primarily by male strangers to females in public places..

Wikipedia defines street harassment as “a form of harassment, primarily sexual harassment that consists of unwanted sexualized comments, provocative gestures, honking, wolf-whistling, indecent exposures, stalking, persistent sexual advances, and touching by strangers, in public areas such as streets, shopping malls and public transportation.” This definition allows the reader to acknowledge that street harassment is not only limited to shouting at women on the street.

In an article done by Jane Mcguire for runners.com, 50 women shared their catcalling stories.

Molly: Whenever I run outside, I put my phone and my driver’s license in a pocket. My phone so that if something happens, I could still call someone. My licence, so that if something bad happens, they could identify my body and let my family know.

Anon: I’m on edge when I’m running. I assess the environment for escape routes or hiding places. I use location tracking on WhatsApp. I feel more relaxed in the morning, but after the commute rush. Even in summer, I don’t like to run after 5pm even if it’s light, it just feels uncomfortable. I wear extra-long shorts in summer, as I don’t want to draw attention to myself. I also bought baggy T-shirts.

Alice: I feel anger. Anger that men think it’s OK to harass women. Sometimes I shout back through anger, sometimes I run quicker through anger. I try not to let it affect my choice of run route, but I have changed roads before to avoid certain cars. I will never let them stop me from running or wearing shorts.

 Geraldine Cicero, a sociology teacher at St. John’s University, shared her own individual experience and expertise on this social behavior.

She depicted an occurrence that happened when she was just 10 or 11 years old. All these a long time afterward, she clearly recollects the time a car full of young men slowed down close to her, rolled down their windows, and started shouting at her.

She was advised by her companion to not look at them and keep walking.

Cicero said the outrage and sadness she experienced was something you essentially managed at the time.

Referring to such incidents simply as ‘catcalling’ is infuriating, she said. "The term minimizes the act as well as the impact,'' she said. "At the very least, it’s disrespectful. More accurately, it’s a form of objectification, and as I see it, an expression of hostility. No matter how innocuous some may believe, catcalling, typically done by men to women, is a form of harassment and degradation. It’s unacceptable.”

Unfortunately, even in today’s social climate, ladies are still expected to simply overlook the shouting and whistling.