Catcalling's culture of fear

On Sunday afternoon, I went running.

It was gorgeous out--sunny, bright and cold. I needed to relieve some stress, and I just wanted to put my earbuds in and run until I couldn’t run anymore.

The people of Bloomington were sleepily staying in, doing work or watching TV.

I thought I would have the town to myself.

I was wrong.

Let me start by saying I had on relatively modest running gear — opaque leggings, athletic shoes, an oversized T-shirt and a sweatshirt. It was nothing remarkable.

And yet, for some reason during the 45 minutes I was outside, running through seemingly deserted neighborhoods, I got honked at three separate times, yelled at by two men on scooters — pretty smooth, guys — slowly driven behind once, and catcalled by people on porches twice.

By the end of my run, I was seeking out one-way streets and running in the opposite direction of traffic so I could avoid being caught unawares and having my butt shouted at. I was uncomfortable, intimidated and confused.

Like I said, I’m no Victoria’s Secret model. I’m just a normal girl who was wearing frumpy workout gear. I couldn’t figure out why so many men had gone out of their way just to catcall a makeupless, sweaty, semi-gross-looking woman attempting to exercise.

But what I’ve realized, probably a little late, is that catcalling isn’t about expressing appreciation for a woman’s appearance. The people that yelled at me on my run are probably the same people who yell incoherently at me out of cars when I’m walking home from the newsroom in the evenings. They’re the ones who wolf-whistle when I’m walking to my car from my promotional job at the bars.

Not because I’m a goddess incarnate — because I’m a woman, and I’m there in front of them.

Some would argue that IU, like many a college campus, has a culture of shouting.

When it warms up, people sit on their roofs and holler at passersby. Many of my male bike-riding friends have had obscenities thrown at them for no apparent reason.

Some would argue that yelling at strangers is just a non-sexist phenomenon, meant to be all in good fun.

I refute that.

The infrequent targeting of men doesn’t make the majority of catcalling less generally sexist or misogynistic.

The overwhelming majority of people who are targeted by catcalling and vocal intimidation on campus are women.

The overwhelming majority of people doing the vocal intimidation are men.

It doesn’t take a scientist to tell you that — ask any female IU student.

This catcalling is the manifestation of a few different problems on our campus.

It reflects the overwhelming problem we have with objectifying women — an obvious point, but one that must be addressed.

For example, the women on this campus don’t wear leggings — a noted male favorite — solely to invite male appreciation. We wear them because they’re easy, they’re comfortable and they look slightly less sloppy than sweatpants. If we’re exercising, we wear them because they’re practical.

If certain articles of female clothing literally drive you so insane with lust that you must shout about it, you’re no better than the hormonal middle school boys for whom “no shoulders and fingertip-length skirts” female dress codes are enacted. Learn some self-control and respect.

It’s OK if women want to look sexy. But simply finding a woman attractive doesn’t give you the license to intimidate her or to express sexual attraction she may be uncomfortable with. Looking sexy isn't an invitation for sex, and saying we should change what we wear to avoid these interactions is classic victim blaming.

More generally, some may argue that driving slow behind a running girl or yelling at her from your porch is all in good fun.

Put yourself in her shoes. Sexual assault against women in Bloomington is incredibly prevalent. Do we think you’re actually going to chase after us and rape us? Probably, hopefully, not. But that doesn’t make intimidation acceptable.

This is because catcalling women, at its core, isn’t a compliment or an expression of appreciation.

It’s an intimidation tactic. It’s a way for some men to express that they are still the powerful ones and that we are here for their objectification and for their pleasure. It’s a way of instilling fear, of saying, “Don’t forget that I’m always watching, always judging.” It’s a literal expression of the male gaze.

And for most women, it isn’t funny, attractive or enticing.

Men of Bloomington, learn to control yourselves. Don’t honk or holler if you don’t know me.

And please, please let me go on my runs in relative peace.

— kelfritz@indiana.edu