How to Respond to Catcalls
An Analysis of Something Impossible to Master: Rape Culture
Hello! If you’ve clicked on this article, odds are that you either: have been catcalled, have experienced sexual harassment or assault, or both. That being the case, we have a lot in common, and you probably are looking for a quick and comprehensive way to respond to these perpetrators without the issue getting worse or leaving you feeling awful. Well unfortunately, there is no perfect, easy way to respond to a catcall, because as much as we are all different, no two catcallers are the same. While this is already incredibly disheartening, it stems from a deeper issue that needs to be addressed in order to face this problem head on, and that is rape culture.
The idea of systemic rape culture is something that people are incredibly uncomfortable to talk about. This is in part because the acceptance of its existence both undermines a gendered hierarchy and enforces the notion that western culture is not as “evolved” and ahead of other nations as we might like to believe. By not talking about rape and rape culture as a systemic, violent, prevalent issue though, we are allowing society to continue on as it has been for years, and that is a huge problem. In order to begin the discussion, it is important that everyone has a clear understanding of what rape culture actually is. According to Marshall University’s Women Center, rape culture is defined as, “an environment in which rape is prevalent and in which sexual violence against women is normalized and excused in the media and popular culture. Rape culture is perpetuated through the use of misogynistic language, the objectification of women’s bodies, and the glamorization of sexual violence, thereby creating a society that disregards women’s rights and safety.”
Now lets break this down. First, an environment where rape is prevalent can literally be anywhere, and rape happens everywhere in the United States. In 2011, the New York Times reported that 1 in 5 women had been raped or experienced attempted rape. Rape is then normalized through much of our current media. One example of this is the long-running and widely popular, “Law and Order SVU.” Currently, in its fifteenth season, this show has populated television with real and imagined stories of sexual violence, adding to the normalization and sensationalism of rape culture while claiming that it is raising awareness. The media also perpetuates the over-sexualization and commodification of female bodies. Just watch any Carl’s Jr. commercial, and you will know exactly what I am talking about. Rape culture also lies in our use of language, i.e. anything from rape jokes to catcalling to the diminution of women in the workplace by their male coworkers. Through these examples (although there are plenty more), this issue becomes much more apparent.
Sharon Marcus, in “Fighting Bodies, Fighting Words: A Theory and Politics of Rape Prevention,” cites Mary E. Hawksworth’s article, "Knowers, Know- ing, Known: Feminist Theory and Claims of Truth." Hawksworth accepts the notion that women are either already raped or inherently rapable, and Marcus strongly opposes this statement. By accepting that statement as true, Hawksworth is normalizing the idea that rape is a fixed inevitability for women. Marcus instead calls into question the government’s response to rape only existing as an aftermath of the event, and challenges the idea that a rape must have already occurred for us to begin to address the problem. She then shifts her attention to the prevention of rape, and the fact that much of this duty falls on women. Rather than teaching our children not to rape or assault, we societally teach our girls how not to get raped. “Women’s noncombative responses to rapists often derive as much from the self-defeating rules which govern polite, empathetic feminine conversation as they do from explicit physical fear. To prevent rape, women must resist self-defeating notions of polite feminine speech as well as develop physical self-defense tactics.” By saying this, Marcus argues that our socialization of polite women is perpetuating rape culture and enforcing the notion that women are the only ones who can prevent themselves from getting raped.
All of this circles back to the beginning: catcalling. The ways women respond to catcalling are the same ways women attempt to avoid rape and violence. This is because catcalling can escalate into a more serious and harmful situation at anytime. The Girl Scouts of America reported that 1 in 10 girls is catcalled before her 11th birthday, and will continue to deal with this harassment in perpetuity. Many men do not understand the fear that women feel when they are approached by a strange man, especially when she is alone. A great example of this is Dan Bacon, who wrote the most oblivious and insensitive article I have ever had the misfortune of reading, “How to Talk to a Woman Who is Wearing Headphones,” wherein he walks men through a step-by-step guide about how to approach and hit on women who are utilizing a universal signal for ‘please leave me alone.’ He encourages predatory behaviors like ignoring any negative signals the woman sends, and continuing to pursue her anyway. Men like Dan are a huge part of why rape culture is a continuing issue. Just because he is not committing the act of rape, does not mean that his determined ignorance of a lack of consent is not harmful. Just because a woman is talking to you, does not mean she wants to be, especially if you made her remove her earbuds to do so. She just might not feel safe speaking out against your harassment.
Eileen Hoenigman Meyer laments her own lack of response to catcalling in her article entitled, “My daughter got her first catcall, and I didn’t know what to tell her.” When her 11 year old daughter was harassed for the first time, Meyer realized that her own response to catcalling consisted entirely of confusion. “If I answer, it might be misinterpreted as interest. If I flick him off, that might seem like an invitation. So I usually get embarrassed, and freeze.” This response is one that Marcus discusses in depth, because rather than a fight or flight response to a threat, many women are prone to freezing and silence in a potential rape situation. Meyer disagrees with the notion that women should be charged with preventing their own harassment, rather she believes that the solution lies with the creating and raising of male advocates. I’m not certain if I agree completely, as I do not believe that men with savior complexes are the solution either. However, I do believe that by educating men and women on what street harassment is (here’s a handy toolkit on reporting it), and on the systematic rape culture that exists, we can encourage them to step up. The best way to move forward is to talk about the problem, and to refuse to remain bystanders to harassment.
