Women hate cat-calling. At the very least we dislike it or are apathetic. But most women hate it. Like it or not though, it is a part of American culture. Women in public walk guarded against petty "compliments" with eyes straight ahead, the words "do not engage" ringing through their ears. Maybe most of these "classy" men are harmless, but the fact remains that the practice is not pleasant. But in some places, it seems like we can't view it this way. According to one study abroad info packet, some girls visiting Athens, Greece for the first time are uneasy when they hear these sexualized jeers from the locals. But this packet goes on to reassure us that these men mean no harm and they're beneath notice of most Athenian women. Really?

Yes, it is a cultural thing, but it is also deeply rooted in our American society in a different way, going back centuries, contributing to the modern day female sexualization. But just because it's a cultural thing does not mean we should simply dismiss it as men meaning "no harm" to American women who grow up in rape culture. For me it illustrates a fundamental misunderstanding of just how bad things still are here.

Stumbling through Facebook, I found a video that illustrates this point perfectly. It is an abuse of language to say the cat-calling is just a cultural phenomenon, and the only way you can know that is through experience. The men shown in this video have the unique experience of embodying two genders in a lifetime. They show just how much cat-calling and sexism affect women and men, and why it is a very real problem.