When women walk by, men whistle? Compliment or insult?

[LadyEmeraude]

 

[LadyEmeraude]

Personally for myself, I prefer a wink if anything, or a smile.

I don't seem to notice much in the way of men whistling at women
where I live, does not mean they don't, I just have not noticed it ..

 

[jujube]

I can remember when I'd get huffy about it.

Now, I'd be feeling so complimented, I'd probably get breathless.

 

[Jules]

Do men even do that anymore?

 

[Murrmurr]

Do men even do that anymore?

No. Well, maybe a few, but it's considered sexual harassment now. My 16yr-old grandson never even heard of whistling at girls until recently. He said girls these days would smack you for that. I said, "Huh, just like in the old days."

(I told him that didn't happen often, though)

 

[hearlady]

Patronized. But I'll take it.

 

[GoneFishin]

Last time I whistled at a woman I got a black eye

 

[Fyrefox]

It seems like back in the days of the Wolf Whistle, the sexes were almost acting out stereotypes. Women were broads, dishes, skirts, dames and so on, while men were Wolves. It passed for men to whistle at passing women, and it was seen as complimentary. The old “boys being boys” kind of nonsense…



That kinda stuff doesn’t pass muster anymore. I once offended a woman by holding a door for her! Should I have slammed it in her face? Some guys are left scratching their heads, wondering what the new rules are. Dean Martin’s Baby, It’s Cold Outside now gets little airplay as some say it encourages date rape. Heck, cartoon skunk Pepe Le Pew was banned from the second Space Jam movie because of claims he modeled inappropriate sexual behavior!



Times have certainly changed. Americans may soon be electing our first female president…

And I say that’s a good thing!

 

[Tommy]

I don't recall ever seeing that happen except, of course, in movies.

I always wished I could whistle loudly through my fingers but have never been able to.

 

[Lewkat]

It's a compliment as far as they are concerned, so I'll smile and enjoy being noticed.

 

[StillLearning]

Back in the 70’s I had to walk past a construction site where the men would whistle etc. My coworker told me that someone fell and died at the site. I always wondered if someone got distracted by whistling at the women walking by and fell.

 

[Paco Dennis]

I can whistle with my fingers really loud. I do believe back in the 60's I did this a few times. The girls had to be very far away though. I knew I was flirting with danger. That was then, kind of a left over like @Fyrefox described, or copying old movies that did it. Since then, since I was 20, I have never done it. As far as being nice to a "person", it is universal...male female, it's, they's, and kids...be nice and helpful, they always seem to like it.

 

[Pepper]

Surely this isn't done anymore? The last time it happened to me was 40 years ago. He also yelled "Baby, will you marry me." I thought it was so hilarious I started laughing, couldn't stop, and he did as well. We left with a high five. He really understood what he was doing was nuts! So funny.

 

[LadyEmeraude]

The pic above I posted was taken in 1959.

 

[Nathan]

Never saw wolf whistling in Real Life, only in old movies and cartoons.

 

[January]

I think it is best left in the past.

Would be very uncomfortable being that woman in the picture and waking past a dozen men whistling and ogling at her - and usually making lewd comments as well.

 

[fuzzybuddy]

I don't know if the whistling thing was ever really accepted. It was something "bad boys" did. It may have been something guys did to bolster their male egos.
Today, that kind of behavior could get someone into trouble.

 

[MarkinPhx]

 

[Pepper]

It was prevalent at construction sites in Midtown Manhattan in '60's & '70's. It went on all day long, like it was expected to behave that way so they did. Never saw it get ugly, usually good humored.

 

[Mobilman44]

When I was in 8th grade, my Mom (worked downtown) needed to come to school to meet the teacher. She couldn't make it when all the other parents came for the occasion, and the teacher was kind enough to let her come during class time. It was no big deal, for I was a top student (then) and there was little to discuss.

Anyway, when my Mom walked in the room some of the guys gave her a whistle. She and the teacher were embarrassed, but I was soooo proud! Mom was about 40 then, a slender, good looking Italian woman.

 

[LadyEmeraude]

I imagine some men would like to be whistled at, or so I hear.

 

[MarkinPhx]

I imagine some men would like to be whistled at, or so I hear.

And react the same as pet dogs

 

[dilettante]

I'm not sure how it could be interpreted as an insult. It's pretty hard to whistle sarcastically.

But I can't imagine it happening very often today either. Almost anything a guy might do or say has been criminalized. It takes a lot of guts now to risk initiating any level of contact.

 

[Brookswood]

Do men even do that anymore?

My question also.

 

[Della]

Where I grew up we had to walk along state route 35 to get places and men and boys would whistle as they drove by the girls doing 90mph.

Where I worked in the 80's the construction workers would hold up signs rating women on the 1 to 10 scale as they went by. I only saw 10's so I don't think anyone got her feelings hurt.

One time, I was walking past some men when my husband pulled up and whistled. As I hopped in his car, I heard one guy say to the other, "So that's how you do it."

I was at a bus stop in Charleston one time, standing next to a flashy bleached blonde when a young guy slowed down in his car to yell, "PURTY HAR!" We all cracked up.