Cat calls

I am puzzled. I thought catcalls were whistles and shouts of derision that were often heard in nineteenth-century music halls when an act didn't meet with the audience's approval. This thread seems to suggest that they are the same thing as wolf whistles and shouts of approval for the female form. (I can't watch the video either.)

Couldn't view the link?
I never felt threatened with wolf whistling, just pleased I looked as good as I felt....it was depressing when DD started getting the whistles instead of me though !!- she was 13

It reminded me of a slow handclap too - which usually indicates DISapproval (plus a kind of "I know where you live so look out")

deliberate and a bit menacing - yes, it did didn't it, not all that far removed from a slow-hand clap!

On both your posts, Elegran, I agree.

... and in answer to the OP, no, I don't like it.

I didn't time that mand's clapping, but it didn't sound all that much like enthusiastic approval anyway. It sounded somehow - deliberate and a bit menacing.

There's nothing wrong with a bit of wolf-whistling or good-natured cat-calling imo - in fact, I miss seeing and hearing it! No car horns bib anymore with a shouted 'woo hoo' at some young girl that a chap drives past.

The hand-clapping that was shown in the video I would find puzzling to be honest and I'd most likely ask him what he was clapping for! Oddest thing I've seen when trying to pay a woman a compliment.

When I worked at my full time job on building sites over the years there where many groups of tradesmen who used to "woof whistle" passing pretty girls all done without malice I might add,that all stopped when being PC came into vogue and the tradesmen had to sign a form with the sitemanager that they would not "cat call" in any shape or form or they could be dismissed from site.One girl said to me she looked forward to her banter with the trades and that it was a stupid rule as the women where as bad as the men at times.

Couldn"t view the video , so cannot comment!

however, what on earth is wrong with a few blokes on a building site catcalling an attractive young woman, all harmless fun, IMO sexual harassment SHOULD NOT be read into everything , FGS .

I remember, some years ago, jogging past some workmen and hearing one comment 'look at the arse on that'. I was highly amused!

Sorry, I couldn't view the link so can't give an opinion.

I do think the Coca-Cola adverts, where girls ogle men, redress the balance somewhat.

I agree its all about when and where, like most GNs I had my fair share of catcalls when younger and mostly just ignored them.

On occasion they have been intimidating, there was a time when I was walking through an alley when I passed a man who made a comment, I ignored it and walked on but he started to follow me calling out comments all the time. I found that intimidating and was relieved when I reached the end of the alley and was back on a main street with other people around.

Depends on what, when and where they say it. If it's a wolf whistle or some pleasant comment, meant as a compliment and done in a public place then I have no problem with it (not that it's happened to me in a very long time lol). If it's more sexual or done in a quiet place with no one around then it becomes unpleasant or even threatening but then it's not really catcalls.

When I was young I worked in an insurance office. The agents were all men. We would flirt outrageously with the older men and wind up the younger men because we found we could embarrass them. We discovered that one of the younger men had been photographed by his wife in the shower and we constantly asked to see the photograph just to see him blush. Nowadays I suppose that would be sexual harassment but at the time it was just seen as a bit of fun by both sides.

I know I'm going to have to duck for cover but this whole sexual harassment thing has gone too far. I'm not talking about the serious harassment which is tantamount to sexual assault and even rape but the lighthearted banter which used to be a way of life. Women used to give as good as they got now many scream sexual harassment at the slightest remark.

I have nothing against feminism. My life is better for it but has it gone to far and now we're emasculating our men in the name of equality?

I often wonder how those men who are so quick to make loud sexist remarks about the women they see would react if they were passing through a group of 6ft 6in gay men who started cat-calling them ?

Would they be flattered?
Would they feel threatened?
Would they wade in and start a fight, risking getting battered?
Would they hurry away and avoid that street in future?
Would they go on Facebook complaining about aggressive gay perverts making the streets an unpleasant experience for respectable blokes like them?

Um, I had to remember what "cat calling" actually means. I used to think it was funny when I was younger and whistled at, didn't take offence. These days (obviously) it hasn't happened much in recent years. However, not that long ago one of the local single men, probably a bit younger than me "wolf whistled" me as I walked past him on the other side of the road, and I didn't really like that, mainly because he had once before made a comment about the lovely sunshine and when am I going to see you in your bikini in the garden. So maybe it's about context.

I don't think it's worth making a huge fuss about.