For this response, I will be using stopstreetharassment.org and ihollaback.org, the two largest groups working to end “street harassment.” I will analyze an excerpt from a Made Man article entitled “How to Compliment Women Without Being a Skeeze or a Catcaller” by comparing it to the statements found on these two sites and seeing whether this article’s supposed examples are permitted. I will do this in order to prove that feminist propaganda organizations actually set rules that make any and all communication from males to females illegal.
They literally want to go beyond Orwell’s nightmare and make it so that men speak only when spoken to. No exaggeration. I’m being quite sincere. As you shall see, this is an accurate statement.
From Made Man:
There is, however, a way to speak to a woman of any age and still be a gentleman. This is important to teach and be taught because guys who do not have any idea how to talk to women are the idiots in the video. Here is the method:Approach a woman by pretending you’re not approaching her? [rubs head] I can see this is going to be very agitating. This is literally submissive behavior, and it’s impolite. If you approach while pretending you’re not, then when you do finally say something to her, within physical range, she’s likely to be startled. You have literally ambushed her … Yeah, that’s gonna go over well. What could possibly go wrong?
1. Body language. I mean yours. A woman’s first thought when approached by a guy is, “What does he want, and when is he going to go away?” Your first instinct is going to be to approach with both shoulders and chest facing her. Your first instinct is wrong. Point your body (especially your hips) in another direction. Look over your shoulder, even.
Furthermore, according to stopstreetharassment.org’s “What Is Street Harassment?“:
Street harassment is any action or comment between strangers in public places that is disrespectful, unwelcome, threatening and/or harassing and is motivated by gender or sexual orientation or gender expression.
Simply stated, it does not matter how
you make your approach—approaching the woman is an action that may be
unwelcome and will still, therefore, be “street harassment,” no matter
the method of approach. Therefore, Rule #1 is incorrect. This
is harassment. You may not approach a woman you do not know. Only the
woman may approach you. You are a man: speak when spoken to or not at
all.
Actually, according to ihollaback.org’s “What is Street Harassment?“:2. The compliment. It should never be remotely sexual. Compliment a woman the way you would compliment a woman of any age. Are you going to go up to somebody’s grandmother and tell her you like how her dress fits? No. “That’s a great color,” however, works. If you find the need to look both ways in case someone overhears you: shut your mouth.
Street harassment can be sexist, racist, transphobic, homophobic, ableist, sizeist and/or classist. It is an expression of the interlocking and overlapping oppressions we face and it functions as a means to silence our voices and “keep us in our place.” At Hollaback!, we believe that what specifically counts as street harassment is determined by those who experience it.If the woman in question determines your comment “That’s a great color” to be a sexist show of approval of her choice of attire, then this is still street harassment. You are a man: speak when spoken to or not at all.
Also according to stopstreetharassment.org’s “What Is Street Harassment?“:
Types: It ranges from leers, whistles, honks, kissing noises, gender-policing, and non-sexually explicit evaluative comments, to more insulting and threatening behavior like vulgar gestures, sexually charged comments, flashing, and stalking, to illegal actions like public masturbation, sexual touching, assault, and murder.“That’s a great color” qualifies as a non-sexually explicit evaluative comment and is therefore street harassment. You are a man: speak when spoken to or not at all.
3. The exit. Now be off with you. If you stand around looking like a bellboy waiting for a tip, you will undo everything you just did.If you leave as quickly as possible, then there is no possibility for interaction. What, exactly, was the point of making contact to begin with?
And oh, by the way, according to ihollaback.org’s “What is Street Harassment?“:
Street harassment is a form of sexual harassment that takes place in public spaces. At its core is a power dynamic that constantly reminds historically subordinated groups (women and LGBTQ folks, for example) of their vulnerability to assault in public spaces.You approached the woman by pretending you were not, ambushed her with a comment, and left as quickly as possible. A woman prone to misandry or androphobia is likely to take this as having been an intentional show of dominance and, therefore, a sexist verbal drive-by. This is wrong. You are a man: speak when spoken to or not at all.
Conclusion
The excerpts from the Made Man article are wrong according to both of the major street harassment organizations (ihollaback.org and stopstreetharassment.org). Not only that, but because they set the definition so loose, even intentionally attempting to determine an acceptable way for a man to approach a woman in an open or public setting will result in failure. Simply stated: According to feminists, there is no acceptable way for a man to approach a woman in a public space to say anything at all.
The trick is that no one looks at the definitions they set because everyone focuses on the examples provided, such as a guy yelling, “Nice ass” at a woman. It is this bait-and-switch maneuver that will allow them, if not resisted, to enact laws that make it illegal, or legally punishable, for a man to speak to a woman in a public place, no matter how polite or well-intentioned. The devil is always in the details.
Let’s revisit an excerpt from stopstreetharassment.org’s “What Is Street Harassment?”:
Types: It ranges from leers, whistles, honks, kissing noises, gender-policing, and non-sexually explicit evaluative comments, to more insulting and threatening behavior like vulgar gestures, sexually charged comments, flashing, and stalking, to illegal actions like public masturbation, sexual touching, assault, and murder.Pay close attention to “leers.” If you look at a woman and she doesn’t like it or doesn’t like you, then it’s magically street harassment. Men apparently should avoid making visual contact with women to prevent the “male gaze,” or what some feminists have termed “stare rape” (yes, it’s a thing, however imaginary).
And I remind you that ihollaback.org stated:
At Hollaback!, we believe that what specifically counts as street harassment is determined by those who experience it.Which, again, means that if you look at a woman and she doesn’t want you to or doesn’t like you, then you’re guilty of street harassment. Men should look down at the ground at all times to avoid offending a woman in public. You are a man: look away and know your place.
Also take note of “non-sexually explicit evaluative comments.” “Nice weather we’re having” is a non-sexually explicit evaluative comment. They have added so many non-harassment acts and actions to the list of what should be considered “street harassment” as to eliminate the possibility of a man being able to say anything to a woman without it being harassment. You are a man: speak when spoken to or not at all.
These two feminist organizations are quite literally, in their definitions and in what they seek to enact, creating a world in which men may not look at or speak to women in a public place. They are to look away and say nothing unless directly addressed by a woman.
I said it previously, and I will say it again: They are literally attempting to create a society that ventures beyond Orwell’s nightmare. This extends past the literary fascism of Nineteen Eighty-Four. This extends past the allegory of Animal Farm.
If these two massive feminist groups are able to push legislation using their bait-and-switch tactics of exclaiming “hey, nice ass” but defining “non-sexually explicit evaluative comments” and “leers,” then they will make it legally punishable for a man to look at a woman or say anything to her. After that, I would ask, how long before we are no longer permitted to walk on the sidewalk and instead have to walk through the gutter on the side of the street? How long, I would ask, before men are forced to wear symbols on armbands when in public?
I assure you, I am not being facetious. I am posing you the question: If they can make it illegal for a man to look at a woman in public or even speak to her without her addressing the man first, then where does it go from there?
Editorial note: the title image, the “Flag of Animalism” as described in George Orwell’s Animal Farm, is a cropped version of an image by Al2 under Creative Commons 2.5 license.–DE
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