After digging into why catcalls are followed by the happy connotation of "complimentary," I thought why not try to find the most common sources that pronounce these 'happenings' as minor inconveniences.
I wasn't so impressed.
Commentators, jokes in pod-casts that goes unhinged, little remarks almost shrugged over the shoulder, dismissed without the slightest examine because gender based violence (if we were to talk about our proud heritage - Sri Lanka), is a self explanatory area when you look at the charts.
Let's leave aside Sri Lanka. It's a small-spaced island and no one whole-heartedly cares if our legal system can't uphold basic rights (apart from those who may benefit from the hierarchy of power at play). From Geetha saying sanitary needs to go for a six in order to upvote for National security to others backing up for her was enough to really take an upvote for ridiculousness.
Back in 2014, a viral video was posted by a woman to show the extent of how much verbal abuse an average woman bears for a day. This video had sparked a lot of side-bar comments, some that I saw it coming a mile away. It squeezed out a lot of emotion that was on the tip of a bottle-neck, especially when a male commentator - Might as well point the finger - Steve Santagati (participant of an on-going debate about street harassment) said,
"No one's holding a gun to your head telling you, you have to live in New York City"
Very flattering.
So yeah, if your kid gets bullied in school you move your child from town to town until you find a place where bullying doesn't exist. That's the practicality behind these issues - you have the freedom to be limitlessly mobile and jump at the chance to move to another country as soon as something bad happens - I'm heavily sarcastic incase my tone gave it away. Commentators like, Steve are the patriarchy in the making itself. They should be publicly called out - why isn't anyone doing that? For people like him, who have the power resting on their bare hands to really change the world? People like them have the public eye on them, difference starts not when individuals start thinking differently on their own at their own homes. It happens with volume. With impact.
The eve-teasing or else, the daily verbal (sometimes even physical) is apparently such a 'boy' thing to do, let the poll results speak.
Source : YAMU Sri Lanka : Check more for the poll results
It ranges from a classic 'Ah nangi' (I might as well be older), low exhale breath of "ssss" to occasional whistles and unsolicited comments. When this issue was posted out in the public, the comment section exploded with genuine misdirection - "I'd love it if a woman shouted at me across the street commenting on my body." - escalated too fast to reveal the fundamental lack of knowledge or rather how this matter is nothing more or less than a funny subject - it's just women being too emotional about everything isn't it? why can't they just take the compliment and move on with their daily stroll?
Yes, maybe 100 years ago they would have. That's what women had to do because they didn't even know what was happening to them was demeaning. Heck, they didn't even have voting rights to begin with.
It's repetitive actions being held to an infinite cycle. Don't say it's a compliment because we know the difference. Women and girls weren't born today not to know what's directed at them are ignominious, it's degrading and humiliating on an extraordinary phase.
The same male commentator had a few words of wisdom to offer:
" If you don't like these compliments as a woman, Just turn around and and tell them to shut up"
The pundit takes a brave step forward, yet again to blame feminism itself to not being able to deal with street harassment already.
Oh Steve, if it was that easy.
The comedian Amanda Seals said that, this world, as unhelpful and upsetting it is for women, it only gets worse when you confront catcallers. It squares them into a corner of harassment, which risks being aggravating physical assault. What a life.
Looking at what happened to Ruth George, if you do ignore it, that too leads to aggressive violence and eventually death. But I've been alive for way too long and knows way too much things about problems girls face. 69% of the women walked away in silence/ignored (presumably praying to god no one will follow them).
Source : YAMU Sri Lanka
"Catcalls aren't harassment, if you're that ungrateful for attention, just ignore when guys try to talk to you"
~ unpopular opinion by - Anna (@suitablegirl) ~
Source : @catcallcollective
All of this makes me want to demand for a better world. In the world of cancel culture, some men have figured out that they have to appear a certain way, but they still don’t want to have to act any different. It’s the structure of entitlement that allows men to lie so that others will like them in public, but become thick as thieves when under the friendly eye of other men. If you have privilege, it is your responsibility to use it to better this world, not to build yourself a protective vessel to glide across the cesspool.
@Triggerednotions
Nice
ReplyDeleteKeep it up 👍🏽