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We’ve all seen versions of the cliché scene where a woman walks by a construction site and all the laborers turn her way, whistling and shouting cat calls to get her attention. A video showing what one New York woman experienced walking the streets of Manhattan is proving that scene is not far from reality, and never glamorous.

Viral video director Rob Bliss (the person who operated the hidden camera strapped to his backpack) collaborated on this piece with Hollaback!, a nonprofit that advocates ending street harassment, to try to document a woman’s experience walking the streets of New York City on a typical day. “All young women experience it.” Shoshana Roberts was taped walking through New York City, capturing all the unwanted comments:

You should read the YouTube comments about this debatable video; there are some interesting opinions being addressed over this. Very cool.

Yes, cat calling is rude and impersonal. We see that, but turning this video into a promotional spearhead for a charity to end verbal harassment, isn’t counter-intuitive, it just seems to be a gross understatement to think money, no matter the amount, can change the states of minds of men who think it’s OK to begin with, knowing that their anonymity as strangers on the street shields them from shame. Men who cat call are to be pitied and shamed for it. Sweet ladies of the world, you are right to despise and ignore these beta males and I applaud all efforts against this type of behaviour (even when my thoughts don’t read like they are formulated properly; I’m with you).

Personally, I think there is a bold line between harassment and simply approaching people to try to talk to because you find them attractive. That’s human interaction. I think if one is giving their time to invest in meeting someone new, they shouldn’t be afraid to go about it, but cat-calling is the polar opposite of that, there is no interaction, which is why even the nicer comments made such as, have a nice day and God bless you, aren’t acceptable in a bustling environment when people are in commute mode, not, hey I’m open to be shouted at, back of my head is fine, mode. What is that? Men, I’ll tell you what that is; it is rude. No matter your intentions or how someone may make you feel, that’s just how it is. Bite that bullet and be a better man.

“I think a lot of men don’t understand the collective weight that this harassment causes. They see it as just an innocent ‘compliment’ but are missing the forest for the trees.” ~ Rob Bliss

I can’t speak about the socioeconomics of New York City, but that behaviour isn’t representative of all men or of all cities, but it is a universal issue that touches on the sexualisation of women in all facets of the media, and also on the core nature of the male ego and the societies that fosters their behaviour. Cat-calls are detrimental to everyone — says ScienceDaily. If nothing else; this video stands alone as influential enough to gain awareness and spark necessary discussions about harassment, gender identity and social conduct. Well done Rob Bliss & Shoshana B. Roberts.

“This definitely shows the average of a daily walk. I walk a lot in the city,” said Roberts. “That was just verbal harassment we recorded, too. It doesn’t account for people whistling and undressing me with their eyes and thrusting their crotches at me.”

There is an artist by the name of Tatayana Fazlalizadeh, also living in NYC, who is combating unwanted cat calls and attention from men in her neighborhood, one poster at a time — her way of talking back:

Read Tatayana’s story here: Fighting Unwanted Cat Calls, One Poster At A Time

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