The Problem With the Catcalling Video

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1XGPvbWn0A)


A few weeks back, this video of a woman being catcalled in NY went viral.  Now that the hype has died down, let's take an objective look at everything.The people behind the video, Hollaback want to make it illegal to catcall.  They feel that it is an epidemic in society.  So let's take a second to analyse this.

First, some of the things that were said were as innocuous as "how are you doing?" and "good morning".  If this constitutes catcalling as Hollaback thinks it does, that means I have catcalled every single person I have ever talked to.  It also means that I catcall my colleagues every day.  So, with this new definition of catcalling, how many of you have catcalled someone?  Now, if these words were made illegal, how many of you would either be fined or in jail?  I'm pretty sure this means that 100% of you reading this would be.

Second, I grew up in Texas.  Where it's polite to say hi to someone if you pass them on the street, even if it's a stranger.  This goes both ways.  So once again, according to Hollaback, pretty much every Texan/southerner should be in jail or fined.  Because we're being polite.

Next, the video itself is highly questionable.  This woman walked around NY for 10 whole hours and they could only come up with a two minute video of catcalling?  Let's do this by the numbers.  There are 60 minutes in an hour and 10 hours.  Which means 600 minutes that this woman spent walking around.  Out of those 600 minutes, they could only find 2 minutes of footage?  That's .33% [repeating] of the time she [spent walking, she] was catcalled.  In the end of the video it says that the video doesn't contain "countless winks, whistles, etc..."  Ok so let's be generous and say that all the winks, whistles, etc, would double the length of the video.  This means that out of the entire day .66% [repeating] she spent getting "catcalled".  That's not even 1%!  How is this an epidemic?

Finally,  supporters of this movement say that it's not just about the catcalling itself but what it may lead to.  I am 99.99% sure that if the catcalling actually led to something, they would have either shown it or mentioned it at the end of the video.  But there was nothing.  Why?  Because catcalling is NOT the same thing as assault.  Which it seems Hollaback is confusing it with.  If any of the men who catcalled then went on to randomly smack her ass or grab a breast, then yes, this would be sexual assault and the men should be fined and/or jailed.  But, surprise surprise, the men didn't!  Catcalling in and of itself does not lead to sexual assault.  On their own website, Hollback shares women's cases of "catcalling".  However, with the exception of one case, all the cases were of sexual harassment or stalking.  Both of which are already illegal in most states.  Good job, you're fighting for something we already have.I'd like to wrap up with one final thought.  Apparently, catcalling and sexual harassment can only be perpetrated by males on females because Hollaback wants to indoctrinate you with the idea that only men are rapists.  If you're so terrified that any random guy will rape you on a busy NY street (which is where the woman walked for 10 hrs) then you need professional psychiatric help because you have either an overblown narcissistic personality or a persecution complex.