Catcalling, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is “a loud, sexually suggestive call or comment directed at someone publicly”. It is the result of allowing sexually-charged thoughts to be disguised as “compliments”, an excuse to speak your mind when you otherwise shouldn’t. In its rawest, definitive form, it is something to be considered socially unacceptable, an interaction to be cringed at.

But it’s a lot more complicated than that. Across many cultures, the concept of complimenting strangers isn’t viewed as abhorrent, rude, or even inappropriate. It’s considered normal, a comment that makes people feel young and like they still “got it”. CNN journalist Anna Grossman relays that when interviewed, women gave mixed reactions, several positive. She also lets on that certain men just don’t know how their words impact people, and it never crosses their minds that their “compliment” could reduce a woman to nothing but an aesthetically-pleasing object.

When conducting my own interview, I found that, across the board, for BOTH sexes, catcalling was frowned upon. Women most commonly described the way they felt as “uncomfortable, scared, and disgusted”. Men felt “weirded out”. One interviewee said she felt sexualized when she was just trying to wear a cute outfit to a special concert. More often than not, women were called out by older men, spanning between the ages of eighteen to early sixties. Men I spoke to were yelled at by groups of girls. Several of my interviewees were still in elementary school when this occurred.

A poll I created revealed that out of 27 people surveyed, 15 women and 8 men had been catcalled. And more often than not, it made them feel awkward and uncomfortable.

Catcalling, no matter how it is framed, is not a compliment. If one feels the need to tell another person something about their appearance, they should not shout it in a public area. It puts that person on the spot and sheds an unexpected spotlight on someone who was minding their own business.  I thought it sad that the men I interviewed were hesitant to speak up because they felt they should not become victimized for a traditionally female problem. No matter who the subject of this objectification is, they should not have to withstand the embarrassment.

I argue that catcalling, in any scenario, is inappropriate. Why should we allow strangers to reduce us to museum exhibits, to be gawked and remarked at? 

As the next generation, we should teach our kids if the person you want to compliment in public is not your friend or a cat, keep your comments to yourself. For that matter, leave the cat alone too.