Whistling at Women?

If I could whistle as well as the theme to the Andy Griffith show I’d do it all the time to impress women with my lip and tongue control, except that kind of thing may attract too much attention from the wrong kind of men.

Thank you. That’s a fantastic idea. Do they make tiny ones?
It would also be useful for registering my excitement and disappointment.

Or if I could find a tiny tuba like that for when I’m walking behind a really fat guy.
(“Family Guy” reference, don’t ya know)

I used to work construction. Hard hat job sites that kind of thing. If we were in an area whereby attractive ladies would pass it wasn’t all that uncommon for the whistles and cat calls to ensue. Even some of the bosses did it. I guess it goes with the territory in that instance. But yeah it’s basically rude.

I couldn’t believe that the subject of this iconic image has this to say:
“Men who see the picture always ask me: Was I frightened? Did I need to be protected? Was I upset?” Craig said. “They always have a manly concern for me. Women, on the other hand, look at that picture, and the ones who have become my friends will laugh and say, ‘Isn’t it wonderful? Aren’t the Italians wonderful? … They make you feel appreciated!’”
full interview I still don’t understand it. People are weird.

That’s an interesting thought. I have no way of knowing how that correllates in the USA.

I’m thinking that a woman may walk down a street in the Wall Street district and never encounter sexual harrassment. But I’m not sure that it guarentees that every man who passes her respects her.

What it does suggest is that he is knowledgeable about accepted street etiquette and is practicing it. (Or thinking about his next business meeting.)

I find this a most interesting topic. There are several layers discussed which pinpoint current cultural issues, the impact of “PC” thought as it relates to how we view women and even the good ole days when a Whistle was really just a whistled compliment.

How the whistled started is not how it is interpreted current day. It was at the time used to get all hands on deck to eyes forward. Moved into the civilian world was used to notify other men of an attractive women passing by. Because I am of the baby boomer era, I liken a whistle to an Andy Griffith…"oh that’s gooOOD Aunt Bea. It’s a compliment, an acknowledgement of statute and beauty. Shallow thinking perhaps, but since I have not heard the whistle outside our circle in a very long time I had no need to delve deeper.

Move forward a couple generations to the era of The Women’s Rights Movement, men and women challenging and confronting sexual stereotypes and roles and sensitivity training toward understanding the impact of sexualization of women in the workplace and society begins incorporating and understanding the impact of objectification of women at many levels but most importantly at the white collar corporate level.

Move forward again a couple generations to the 80/90’s. New guidelines for sexual harassment, Tail Hook, Clinton and again objectification of women is spotlighted, confronted and understood at a deeper level. Think how many societal roles changed from the Ozzie and Harriet days to Geraldine Ferraro and Sally Ride. As a friend recently stated…"In the corporate world only a dumbass would comment on how a woman is dressed no matter how benign the comment might be. In contrast, look how easily those words benign or not were spoken just 40 years earlier.

Current day beyond all the role changes, what changes have occurred at the blue collar level? Back in the day it was journeyman level carpenters, plumbers, iron workers etc. who like women of that time were subject to their own cultural roles and codes of conduct. When I think of the Wolf Whistle, which is the image that comes to my mind. A bunch of blue collar workers on a job site during lunch break acknowledging the passing by of ultra-beauty. But I admit that is an archaic and worn out stereotype. The professional construction unions have for the most part been dismantled and if not that are a shell of what they once were. Now at lunch time where journeyman once ruled reside contract piece meal nonunion workers who by their own standard carry a different cultural view, including their views on women. But this new nonunion worker is not just construction specific related as I think the trend that occurred in construction has moved into the teamsters, the retail union, the garment industry and on and on.

So I am left with this thought. White collar workers have been educated Ad Nauseum. They understand their professional roles in all aspects and if they stray, there is punishment. On a professional campus during lunch where men and women move to and fro, if I listened carefully enough would I hear the faintest sound of Wolf Whistle? I am gonna go out on a limb and say no.

Move from a professional campus to any street where white and blue collar workers mingle during lunch time. Would I hear a Wolf Whistle and if I did, which colored collar would deliver it? Same limb, different question, my bet would be on the blue collar.

All this and I have not even touched on all the categories of the Wolf Whistler. There are the pervs, the creepers, the low lives, the would be predators, all with their own sub category and definition. The guys fall not only into the Wolf Whistler but also the Cat Caller. With these guys the whistle is foreplay for no matter how the woman responds, they will respond in an intimidating manner. Must rest now :slight_smile:

The absence of whistles doesn’t mean women are necessarily respected. I rarely got whistles in Muslim West Africa or China, but both places have their own sets of gender issues, particularly when it comes to family dynamics.

But every place I have gotten significant whistling, I’ve also experienced people grabbing my butt, putting their hand down my shirt, following me, exposing themselves, and other really disturbing and explicitly threatening stuff. While that lady walking down Wall Street might not be fully respected as an equal partner, she’s probably not going to be subject to people trying to pinch her nipples or masterbating in front of here while she’s walking around running errands. This suggests to me that whistling is a part of that whole spectrum. It may be the mild side of it, but it’s not something that is fully separate from other forms of harassment. Otherwise, you’d see more places where there are whistles but no other threatening behavior.

For you guys who really don’t why women don’t love unsolicited sexual comments, imagine a world where half the population was seven feet tall, beefy, and homosexual. And imagine if on a fairly regular basis, these massive gay dudes started publicly commenting the tightness of your butt, how much they’d like to plow you in the butt, what a good cocksucker you must be, etc. Imagine if every time you walked by a construction site, groups of them started yelling “Hey sexy, give me your number! I’ll be dreaming of your butt tonight…!” Imagine several of your friends have been raped by these guys in the past, and rapes by beefy homosexuals were reported on a regular basis in your neighborhood.

Would you still feel it was flattering?

I was wondering when someone was going to suggest this exercise. I used to study at a public library where the men’s room was a center for gay men to pick one another up. It was very uncomfortable for me to use it, because the walls were lined with guys looking you up and down as you went by. It didn’t feel flattering or complementary to be treated as a desirable sex object by strangers, and the coldness of the appraisal was humiliating. “So this is what it’s like,” I thought.

[sigh] I thought this was all settled back in the 60s by Archie and Meathead. But not only the same issue, the same tired rationalizations and self-deceptions are still with us.

I go along with Pizza Guy and Mean Old Lady’s first post.

No one should have to put up with this stuff. And topped with social counseling on how to graciously accept complements? Hasn’t anyone ever seen a Tex Avery cartoon?

Nitpick: All in the Family debuted in January 1971. I do remember it well.

1971 was back in the 60s. I don’t remember it at all.

Cracked.com: 5 Ways You’re Accidentally Making Everyone Hate You
http://www.cracked.com/blog/5-ways-youre-accidentally-making-everyone-hate-you/?wa_user1=3&wa_user2=Science&wa_user3=blog&wa_user4=recommended

Good. I want men who are big enough assholes to goddamn whistle at me on the street to hate me. They’re not even worth eye contact, let alone words.

Did you get any farther into that article than the first item?

I thought we already established that anyone who thinks whistling is an acceptable way to communicate with women passersby isn’t very bright.

Pretty sure you’re the only living male who believes he’s doing women a favor by compelling a crowd of strangers to gawk and collectively assess her personal attractiveness. The other socially uncooth whistlers know they’re deliberately putting us on the spot.

In the 1950’s and early 1960’s whistling was slightly more acceptable and viewed as a cute, harmless bad boy activity. Girls seemed to enjoy it but they seldom responded.

Here’s the 6th way you’re making everyone hate you:

Getting all pissy when your primitive grunting, whistling, catcalling, or gesturing behavior only makes people think you’re an unwashed moron.

You’re like the guy on the subway who sits and stares at you unblinking and drooling literally the entire time with his hand in his pants. Nobody wants to talk to that guy. If you do, it might provoke even creepier behavior, like pulling out his hand and trying to make you smell it.

If whistling was acceptable, flattering behavior, women would do it to each other, and it would occur at work, at church, and at formal and professional functions. Whistlers know they’re being confrontational and rude. We really don’t have to explain this to rational, honest people.

we had dinner with friends last night and had to ask the women how they felt about the whistle. All our college grads, two are professional and one is what I would call blue collar. One said whatever, I ignore it, the other and I quote, I like it, “I am not that uptight chick that gets her panties in a wad” and the third ignores it and does not like it. Small slice of the pie but all admit is has been quite some time between whistles

just a tad over the top

To whistlers -

Would you whistle at a woman walking with a man?

And if not… why not?