Young: Reaction to 'catcall video' goes overboard

A video that shows a young woman walking down the streets of New York City under what seems like a barrage of catcalls from men has sparked impassioned discussions in the media, as well as a debate about possible legislation to deal with street harassment. But it's time to step back and consider that the overreaction to the viral video may be far worse than the problem itself -- especially considering the fraught cultural history of these issues.

On a personal note: I am a woman who has spent a lot of time in New York, including several years of full- and part-time work in Manhattan in my 20s. I could not relate to the "catcalling" video -- a public service announcement for the anti-street-harassment group Hollaback! An occasional unsolicited compliment? Sure, but certainly not 10 times an hour as the video claims, or even 10 times a year. Nor have I ever seen a man catcall a woman.

My very informal survey of female acquaintances in New York yielded mixed results. Some said the problem was real. Others had no idea what the fuss was about. Neighborhood seems to be a factor: One young woman said that unwanted street attention was virtually nonexistent in Manhattan, quite frequent in the Bronx. But I also wonder whether it's a matter of what you notice. If you think "Hey, gorgeous!" is a degrading, sexist put-down, even a few such comments may seem like a torrent of abuse. If you think it's no big deal, you're not likely to keep track.

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In August, New York Post writer Doree Lewak caused quite a stir with a piece titled, "Hey ladies -- catcalls are flattering! Deal with it." I wouldn't go that far. But it also seems to me that most of the overtures in the video -- ranging from "God bless" to "Damn!" and from "Hey baby" to "Good evening" -- are pretty innocuous, a far cry from claims that street harassment typically involves obscene, threatening, or hateful comments (which actually do fall under statutes prohibiting harassment and disorderly conduct). And let's face it, chatting up a stranger in a public place can be, even today, a prelude to a relationship.

Some feminists argue that a man who comments on a woman's appearance or tries to engage her in conversation is signaling his patriarchal ownership of her person. That seems like a rather shaky theory. If you comment on the cuteness of a stranger's child, you're not claiming the right to child-snatching. Apparently, it's also not unheard of for young women and teenage girls to catcall attractive men.

Could a harmless compliment to a woman escalate into something threatening? Sure, especially in an isolated area. But if we start criminalizing street interaction because of such potential, that's quite a slippery slope. Being stopped and asked for the time or for directions can escalate into a robbery or even a severe beating (I know of several such cases, all involving male victims). "Spare some change?" can escalate into a robbery -- which almost happened to me once.

There is, finally, the troubling element of the racial and class dynamics involved. Even many people who agreed with the purpose of the video were disturbed by the fact that nearly all the offenders were black or Hispanic, which recalls the long and ugly history of black men being demonized as a sexual menace to white women. The producers eventually apologized and blamed an accident of selection. Yet it's very likely that a "war on catcalling" will disproportionately target minorities at a time when tensions over police harassment of young black and Hispanic men already run high.

Policing threatening conduct in public is essential to a civilized city. But let's keep some perspective, and not succumb to easy outrage.

Cathy Young is a regular contributor to Reason magazine and Real Clear Politics.