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.
You’re assuming they think at all.
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.
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.
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.
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
I don’t think you realize they don’t care and don’t have that social respect normal people have.
Second option all the way. If they thought cat-calling could earn them a date they’d have realised empirically that it doesn’t
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”
