The Latest Attempt To Shame Men

I’ve never catcalled a woman, and I agree with Jon Gabriel; I refuse to be ashamed because some men are boors:

All gentlemen agree that catcalling is a bad thing. In fact patriarchal Victorians were so disgusted by such rudeness, they enforced an elaborate public morality that elevated women with a higher level of respect. Thank goodness feminism and secularism drove a stake through chivalry’s heart.

Today’s Victorianism comes from the left. They too have an elaborate public morality, but one that is untethered to tradition or religion. Their guiding scripture is whatever trendy philosophy is coming out of gender studies departments and mass media in a given month. Men leering at Beyoncé on an awards show is celebrated; similar behavior on the street is anathema.

For better or worse, I’ve never followed fashion. Not only have I never catcalled, I still open doors for women, surrender my seat on public transport, and ensure that I treat them with an extra measure of kindness. I was notified by several liberal men on Twitter that this is A Bad Thing.

You see, it’s good that I oppose catcalling, but bad that I don’t oppose it for the “proper” reasons. While my outward acts of kindness are nice, they arise from a belief that gender differences exist. To these critics, my actions are unimportant; my ideology must be condemned.

Pardon my language but eff these leftist totalitarian selective puritans.

[Update a while later]

Thoughts from Instapundit:

Chivalry was a system, which imposed behavioral obligations on both women and men. Women found those obligations too onerous, but still expect men to shoulder them.

And let’s be honest. What makes these catcalls offensive isn’t that they come from men. It’s that they come from low-status men. Like an unconsented kiss from President Obama, if the catcalls came from George Clooney there’d be much less female outrage.

In fact, maybe these catcalls are a way of striking back at privilege. Any grievance-studies major should be able to flesh out this line of thought…

No doubt. Except it would be politically incorrect.

15 thoughts on “The Latest Attempt To Shame Men”

  1. The solution is obvious. Give me the power to manage society so that I may cure these poor man-children of their cat-calling misbehavior. There’s no possible downside to this.

    Else this falls into my “not-my-problem” round filing system.

    1. Agreed. I think the persons behind doing this recording are dumbasses. This shit just happens. To men too. At one point in my life, when I was more fit, I remember women leering over me. Just see any old Beatles show recording from the 1960s.

      If I say ‘no’ and they go away its no problem. If they don’t go away then its a problem.

  2. Bullying and intimidation are bad which is what catcalls often are… usually done by cowards in groups looking for approval, not so much from the target, but from members of the group itself. Taking notice and appreciating the opposite sex is not. The recipient is not always offended. Often they are flattered. Often they are seeking appreciation. Although not so much if they’re intent on something else like shopping or getting to work.

    I will be shamed when I do something shameful. Not before.

  3. Was she wearing sackcloth and ashes? A burka, maybe? Or was she dressed to look good, i.e. show herself off?
    ” I put out a lure and a (relatively) few fish bit at it; this proves that all fish are horrible!”

    I will say that the twit in question proved one thing beyond a shadow of a doubt, though: that any male who involves himself with her at any level is a fool or a masochist.

  4. Dear Womankind,

    What do you want?

    If we ignore you, we get blamed. If we pay attention to you, we get blamed. If we open doors for you, we get blamed.

    Sincerely,
    Every Male Human on the Planet

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