Topic > Rape Culture Essay - 1188

Cat calling is the act of uttering "A high-pitched whistle or cry of disapproval, typically uttered during a public meeting or performance." The stereotypical example of this is when construction workers whistle and make comments at women passing by on the street. The act of cat calling really makes women feel uncomfortable in a public place where all people should feel welcome and not objectified. No one has the right to call out a woman who is just trying to get on with her day. Cat calls and street harassment are what make most women afraid of walking down the street alone. “Street harassment is about exercising power over someone, treating them with disrespect, and is often about sexually objectifying someone without their consent” (Holly Kearl qtd in Maxwell). As with rape, harassment isn't about sex, it's about power. Street harassment allows men to tell women on the street that their bodies are not theirs, and men can objectify and torment them in public places. In a video for the YouTube channel Street HarassmentVideo, director Rob Bliss films Shoshana B Roberts walking for ten hours in Manhattan, New York. In the video we see and hear many men commenting on his appearance with phrases such as "What's up, man...", "Damn!" and "Nice!" One man even says: “Someone recognizes you because you are beautiful. You