A friend who gets catcalled often thinks it’s mostly men posturing for other men; they don’t usually do it when they’re alone.
As a man, that’s been my experience.
It’s basically bullying like you say. They enjoy the power they hold over a woman to be able to say degrading things about her without consequence.
You’re assuming they think at all.
I don’t think you realize they don’t care and don’t have that social respect normal people have.
I also think it’s infantile behaviour, crowd/group mind psychology where they collectively act worse than the individual; IMHO the bully/cat caller gets pleasure in reaffirming their role within the group and will continue to do so unless somebody from the group itself strongly challenges them (complains, warns them, etc) or something else goes badly for them from bystanders intervening.
They pretty much don’t care about the response from the victim unless it’s “entertaining” and reenforces their clown act
Not a psych worker, just my 2c
BTW it reminds me of the phenomenon where a crowd freezes instead of helping an injured person, since there’s too many people and little “per capita” pressure to help a stranger in need
When I see people out exercising I often get the urge to yell that they are doing a good job or looking great if I see them working hard. But I never do.
I’m a cis man, so maybe take this with a grain of salt, but if I get encourement from a random person like this, I absolutely kick my effort up a notch and remember it for months-years.
I’d like think people might be able to tell the difference between “keep it up” or “you’re doing great” and a full on catcall, but I’ve never been catcalled so… ¯\(ツ)/¯
I go for a thumbs up in that scenario.
I enjoy giving compliments to passing strangers because I know how much it means to me in the rare occasions that I have received one. Of course i’m very careful to not choose stress-inducing topics and not to time it when the subject would be stuck with me, e.g. an elevator.
I get to see so many smiles from recognizing cartoon characters on kids’ clothes, complimenting older guys on their bold hat choices, or someone’s colorful glasses frames.
The world needs more smiles!
Second option all the way. If they thought cat-calling could earn them a date they’d have realised empirically that it doesn’t
Somebody actually cat-calls women? Not just a stereotype from 80’s broadcasting?
If they do, I’d imagine it’s a role they think they have to play for their peers. Do they do that when they are alone?
Tbh, they catcall teenage girls far, far more than they catcall women. And yes, it happens all the time when you’re young enough.
As a man I can’t say much, but I have never seen it done. There might be some geographical differences.
I do think that they think it’s a compliment. I guess they don’t have any women in their lives to smack some sense into them.
I have yet to read any of the other comments, so this is right off the dome, but I imagine that most of them think that they are just sending a compliment and brightening someone’s day.
I doubt they imagine that the girl is gonna sprint across the highway at 75 miles an hour, rip the door of their car, shred their blue jeans like a wildcat and start fucking them like an insane, rabid mongoose.
Maybe they should. Maybe that would inspire the fear needed to stop catcalling?
It’s always seemed like negative attention seeking to me. Pretty much bullying with the facade of “compliments”
