Poem
She
She
walks step by step
Her
mind in a world of its own
Interrupted
The
sound of male barking fills her ears
Give
me a smile
Hey
Beautiful
The
words seep in
She
feels like a circus act
Only
there for other's amusement
And
she wonders how
She
is supposed to feel flattered
When
all she feels is emptiness
The
process of writing this poem was new territory for me. I have never
really written poetry, only personal statements and opinionated
rants.That of course is why I tried to have my poem reflect my
personal statement on the issue of catcalls. In terms of writing
about this issue, I found that I could really easily relate to the
issue of catcalls. I took a deeper look into my own feelings on the
situation and tried to minimize my outlook on it. My goal when
writing this was to be able to tell the story of general female
experiences when being catcalled. I took my strong opinion and tried
to translate it into a more poetic text. Finding the right words and
tone was difficult since this topic is filled with a wide range of
view points and stories. I kept my poem short to reflect kind of the
message that this social issue gives, which is that catcalls happen
very quickly but can still leave a long lasting stir of emotions. The
hardest part about writing this poem was finding a way to get my
point across in a short amount of text while also showing how
important the issue is.
The
issue of catcalling and men objectifying women is one that has been
ongoing long before my life time. It's just that age old idea that
women are there to entertain/amuse men and I believe that it is a big
problem. The thing about this problem that people need to understand
is that it doesn't only affect women, but men as well. Men are
somewhat raised to feel better or more important than women and that
can really damage our environment. It goes way past the idea of men
calling out to women, but also goes into more intimate situations
such as work or school. Women can feel obliged to live in the shadow
of the man and not exceed to their full potential with the fear they
might overpower the man. Men can can use this sexist mind set to
dismiss work of females that can better both of their careers. This
is an issue not only affecting how women view themselves, how men
view themselves, and how they view one another.
Personal
statement
As
a young women growing up in New York, I find that the social issue I
find most apparent is catcalling. Now despite the playful reference
to warm cuddly creatures, this phrase to most women means
embarrassment,degradation and the loss of power and respect. It's
something every female deals with in her life time, men calling out
giving unnecessary commentary on the appearance of a women. Even
though I am only fourteen, I still experience this roughly every
week.Living in a huge city might be a part of it, but this is a
really unfair issue.
Some
men will tell you that a women should feel flattered to be
acknowledged for their beauty by a complete stranger. I find these
kinds of statements comical.How is a women supposed to feel flattered
when she feels intimidated?The light-hearted and supposedly 'sincere'
comments can make a woman feel like she is an object whose entire
existence is centered only for the amusement of men. Comments like
these can also seep into a woman's brain and affect her work/school.
Unfortunately a woman can start to believe that this sexist mindset
some men have is the truth and that they are there simply to impress
men. In a workspace this can lead to a woman not living up to her
full potential and constantly making sure she is in the shadow of
men.
However,
there are ways to prevent these types of situations. Although I
disagree that women need to change to improve male behavior, I truly
believe that women can be the solution just by doing nothing. If a
woman keeps her head up and ignores the ignorant comments, men will
see that she is strong and that comments will not affect her, in any
way negative or positive. This, of course, does not mean it will
stop. Men will always find a way to objectify women but it's up to
women to decide how it will affect them.
Disclaimer:
I am in no way saying that all men catcall and objectify women. That
would be stereotypical and unfair on my part. I am only referencing
the men that do. There are m
Interview
#1
A
female's point of view on catcalling. My stepmother who has had a
fair share of experiences on her hands in terms of this situation. I
thought she would be a good source to interview because she has
experienced it first hand.
1.When
a man comments on your appearance while you're walking down the
street, how does it make you feel?
In
general I view catcalling as a form of typical sexism. Men should not
have the right in any way to objectify women, look down on them, or
treat them like they are a piece of meat, and can be openly commented
in public. Its a bad stereotype and it puts women in the position
that they are serving with their existence the pleasure of men. If I
get catcalled on the street, I feel annoyed and disturbed depending
on the sort of comment, also I feel labeled and powerless.
2.What
do you do in those situations?
Usually,
I would just walk away, ignoring the person, and by this showing,
that I can not just be talked to randomly and judged by my appearance
and my gender.
3.What
is your advice to other young women experiencing the same thing?
As
talking back is usually not helping and can also be dangerous four
young women. I think in general there should be more discussions in
the society, starting in school with young kids about this kind of
stereotyping, sexism and harassment. There should be space to reflect
on that issue, on emancipation in general and the awareness focussed
on women rights in the society.
Interview
#2
I
thought it would be interesting to include a male's point of view. So
I interviewed my dad who might show a different perspective on this
situation. Also to make it abundantly clear he in no way whatsoever
objectifies women.....I hope.
1.Being
a man, what is your opinion on catcalling and female
objectification
in general?
Any
man who "catcalls" women is engaging in sexual harassment.
The
fact
that almost every woman has to deal with this on a regular basis
in
New York City is evidence that our society allows and encourages a
culture
where women are viewed as objects to be publicly praised or
denounced
by men as though they are unwilling contestants on a sick
game
show.
2.How
do you think our society can improve on this situation?
A
big part of this problem stems from the way women are portrayed in
the
media and undervalued in the workplace. The fact that women are
paid
less than men for the same jobs is indicative of the fact that
American
society believes that men are worth more than women and
therefore
superior to women. Of course, it is important that parents
of
boys raise them to be conscious of sexism and misogyny and to be
committed
to ending those horrid institutions. But it is also
important
that people who witness this sexist behavior in public
confront
it wherever it exists. It is not the job of women to endure
consistent
sexual harassment or to be left alone to object to it.
Silence
is complicity.
3.
If you could say a few words to men concerning this situation,
what
would
they be?
Before
you catcall another women, imagine that she is your daughter,
your
wife, your sister. If you would not want some gross asshole doing
what
you are about to do to your loved one, then stop and think about
why
you think the woman you are about to violate deserves your
disgusting,
unwanted harassment.
