griping about catcalls
Jul. 23rd, 2009 06:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
calloocallay(cross-posted to lj; where is everybody, for serious.)
I was thinking about catcalls today because I find I receive a different class of catcall than I used to. In fact, I can pretty much chart the catcalls I have received during my time living in NYC by neighborhood.
West Village: "Girl knows she looks good!" generic whistles, etc.
East Village: "For a white girl, your shape is OFF the HOOK." I actually said thank you to this. It remains my favorite catcall.
Deeper East Village: "Baby, why you mad at me?" "Come on baby, don't be like that" etc.
168th Street: "Damn, she f*&^ all the N*&&%@s." and "God bless that ass."
Chelsea: not very many at all. People were far more interested in my boyfriend. BUT, once while walking home carrying books: "Damn, girl, you don't need no books, I'LL tell you a story."
Now, I live on the Upper West Side, spend a lot of time in Midtown and in the UES and in both villages. I'm all over. And EVERYWHERE, I am getting the same thing: as guys pass me in the street, they lean in and whisper to me. Sometimes filthy things, sometimes just "yes" or "nice" but always a creeeeeepily close whisper.
Why is this? Is this the universally acknowledged way to catcall a grown-up lady? Is this the way all catcalls are conducted now in the 2009 era? Is there something about me that screams "whisper creepily to me!"? What, in short, the hell?
I was thinking about catcalls today because I find I receive a different class of catcall than I used to. In fact, I can pretty much chart the catcalls I have received during my time living in NYC by neighborhood.
West Village: "Girl knows she looks good!" generic whistles, etc.
East Village: "For a white girl, your shape is OFF the HOOK." I actually said thank you to this. It remains my favorite catcall.
Deeper East Village: "Baby, why you mad at me?" "Come on baby, don't be like that" etc.
168th Street: "Damn, she f*&^ all the N*&&%@s." and "God bless that ass."
Chelsea: not very many at all. People were far more interested in my boyfriend. BUT, once while walking home carrying books: "Damn, girl, you don't need no books, I'LL tell you a story."
Now, I live on the Upper West Side, spend a lot of time in Midtown and in the UES and in both villages. I'm all over. And EVERYWHERE, I am getting the same thing: as guys pass me in the street, they lean in and whisper to me. Sometimes filthy things, sometimes just "yes" or "nice" but always a creeeeeepily close whisper.
Why is this? Is this the universally acknowledged way to catcall a grown-up lady? Is this the way all catcalls are conducted now in the 2009 era? Is there something about me that screams "whisper creepily to me!"? What, in short, the hell?
