So it's completely appropriate for them to harass her, but absolutely unacceptable for her to respond?

It's all so clear to me now.

I think the police commented on hr being attractive by way of explination of why the men were whistling at her.

It's absurd that peoples responses to crimes and harrassment often draw more ire from law enforcement than the actual harrassers or criminals.

Though this seems an odd way to teach the whistlers a lesson.

I am not as bothered by the police's response, minus the comment on her appearance. If we treat public exposure as a misdemeanor, it should apply to both genders. Besides, her statement would not be half as loud if what she did went unnoticed. That's one of the basic premises of civil disobedience, which I believe this was.

On a side note, I once had a "wardrobe malfunction" that elicited several whistles and such. Now I wish I had just gone the whole way.

A great way to call attention to the problem with street whistles. It's a protest. Nor do I have a problem with the way the police handled the situation. What she did was illegal, what the men did was not.

mathgoddess,

Laws on public exposure do not apply equally to both genders. That's why men can go topless, but women cannot (at least in America).

I love this response, because it adds to the question that I've always asked about men who hoot at attractive women:
"What do they expect to happen?" Since they clearly don't expect women to strip for them right then and there, I don't understand what the point is. (Btw, not saying that it would validating harassing someone, I would just like there to be a purpose.)

I think a lot of men who behave offensively are acting the way think *think* they're *supposed to*. And clearly no one ever corrected them when they were young boys. So they act this way and even they don't know what they expect to gain from it.

P.S. Did anyone read any of those comments after the original article? Sooo hateful!

Candy:

There is no Federal law preventing women from going topless, and while there are state and county laws which do try and police this, when challenged the state/county often loses or drops all charges.

/Yes, there should be no charges in the first place, but that's a matter of law enforcement being dickbags, not actual legislation.

I had to look this up, but in NYS women can go topless, as long as it is not for commercial purposes, courtesy of some women I believe in Buffalo.
"People v. Santorelli restricts the applicability of § 245.01. The Court of Appeals of New York ruled in 1992 that exposure of a bare female breast violates this law only when it takes place in a commercial context."

SEE for the text of NYS Penal Law on Public Lewdness. The case law supercedes the Penal Law.
http://www.nac.oshkosh.net/StatesFrames/State_Laws_Frames/New_York_Laws/body_new_york_laws.html

I had to look this up, but in NYS women can go topless, as long as it is not for commercial purposes, courtesy of some women I believe in Buffalo.
"People v. Santorelli restricts the applicability of § 245.01. The Court of Appeals of New York ruled in 1992 that exposure of a bare female breast violates this law only when it takes place in a commercial context."

SEE for the text of NYS Penal Law on Public Lewdness. The case law supercedes the Penal Law.
http://www.nac.oshkosh.net/StatesFrames/State_Laws_Frames/New_York_Laws/body_new_york_laws.html

This reminds me of that episode of the L Word when Jenny catches their roommate has been secretly filming them because of some perverted Lesbian fantasy. and she strips in front of him and says:

“What I want is for you to write ‘fuck me’ on your chest. Write it! Do it! And then I want you to walk out that door and I want you to walk down the street and anybody that wants to fuck you say ‘sure, sure; no problem’ and when they do, you say ‘thank you very very much’ and make sure that you have a smile on your face. And then you stupid fucking coward, you’ll know what it’s like to be a woman�

Amen.

I can see a lot of men getting behind this kind of response. In front even :)

That'll teach'em.

err.....public indecency is public indecency

I don't understand what response she was going for with this. It doesn't make sense to me yet. You can't even really say it was a protest unless she says it was, because it just isn't clear.

Has she made a statement?

I used to work with a whistler. I reminded him to think of his own interests. If he likes what he sees, he should take measures that assure he sees it again. While a small percentage might respond to a whistle or hoot, most sloched a little and their proud and confident walk took on a bit of a weak shuffle. How was this a good thing? Maybe she wouldn't be quite so bold next time she came to Market Square.

Look with discression, think whatever thougts you want to think, but respect her privacy, was my advice. Then I realized it wasn't about getting turned on by what he saw, it was about getting turned on by making women feel less comfortable. He said he'd never want his wife to dress like that. I'd seen his wife. Get some of the oppression out of her so she could hold her shoulders straight and actually look forward at the world around her and she'd look fine in anything.

Dude was just an asshole.

For those who didn't understand the response of stripping, it is a power issue. As Bacopa pointed out about his/her whistling coworker, it usually ISN'T just about expressing any kind of attraction- it is an expression of power. "I'm judging you." When she stripped she took that power back and challenged them to look at her naked body in public. She refused to feel ashamed of her body/shame generally in response to their whistles. Pretty powerful move actually. I bet they were shocked.

I'm pretty sure that if I whistled at someone and they got naked, that would only teach me to whistle more often.

What do they expect to happen?"

It depends on why it is being done. "Hooting" can take a variety of forms ... honking, stares, kissy noises, whistling, thumbs up, a mouthed "Wow" etc. and have a lot of purposes/reasons. It's done for flirting, embarrassment , hetero bonding, subverting female sexual dominance, response to "skin", play etc.

I don't think that tourist's response was a good one. If the workers actions upset her it may have been best to ask them to stop and tell them why it bothers HER. Instead, she's now a bar legend whose made it tougher on the next female tourist who passes by these guys. That catcalling is so threatening to women tourists that they'll strip naked is a odd message to send.

I read this article before and it stated "She was taken back to the police station and spoken to and told that was inappropriate in New Zealand."

yes, but so is sexually harassing women!

@lazyfat-fat "I'm pretty sure that if I whistled at someone and they got naked, that would only teach me to whistle more often."

That would be a logical response, yes. But remember, these assholes are irrational creatures. Rational actions don't work on them.

Politely asking to stop--not effective.

Wearing sweats and a t-shirt --still no good.

And shouting back only evokes more aggression in the subjects.

I had to look this up, but in NYS women can go topless, as long as it is not for commercial purposes, courtesy of some women I believe in Buffalo.

It's nice to know my birthplace gave the world something besides chicken wings, multiple failed sports championships and a presidential assassination.

"But remember, these assholes are irrational creatures. Rational actions don't work on them."

And how the hell could you possibly know this? Do you even know their names?

Oh and since when is whistling considered harrassment? It's amazing that some people whine and cringe about small things like that then wonder why they consider them weak.

"As Bacopa pointed out about his/her whistling coworker, it usually ISN'T just about expressing any kind of attraction- it is an expression of power."

What do you mean usually? Did you personally take a poll of all whistlers? Oh and people judge other people all the time, can you honestly point me to anyone you know that's never judged anyone?

"When she stripped she took that power back and challenged them to look at her naked body in public."

I think invited them would be a more acceptable term then challenged. Do you really think looking at her naked would be much of a challenge?

"I bet they were shocked."

Them and everypasserby around, and probably the police.

Catcalling and wolf-whistling have always been harassment, FT. Always. A comment made on my person by someone who I do not know and someone whom I did not invite to render judgement on me is harassment. Pure and simple. That's not being weak. That's being strong enough to call bullshit bullshit.

And it's one thing to have the socialized judgement reaction occur because you weren't on guard against it. It's another thing altogether to give tongue to it.

"Oh and since when is whistling considered harrassment?."

Look, a majority of women and girls report feeling harassed by this type of behavior.

The fact that it persists despite perhaps a miniscule benefit to a tiny minority of individuals leads me to believe that most whistlers and the like are indeed acting irrationally.

Furthermore, when they are challenged even in the most civil way, they become increasingly verbally abusive or completely inept. You tell me how this type of behavior adheres to any kind of logical behavior.

This behavior is powered by pure ego, cowardice and entitlement. You can admire someone without making noises, FYI.

"It's amazing that some people whine and cringe about small things like that then wonder why they consider them weak"

Society should be damned happy that we "weak women" don't respond to disrespectful street behavior with violence in the manner of other individuals who proclaim themselves to be superior and stronger.

I'm sorry but I don't see the point in her actions. I understand how annoying it is to be harassed by idiotic men but I don't see the point in stripping down and making yourself more of a spectacle.

"Oh and since when is whistling considered harrassment? It's amazing that some people whine and cringe about small things like that then wonder why they consider them weak."

A lot fo things are small, but for many women they are CONSTANT. A paper cut is not going to be a serious issue, but a few thousand of them and you'll really notice.

When women have to deal with this shit all the time then it isn't a little thing anymore, it's not minor and each individual incident can't be viewed on it's own, but in the context of being part of a huge scale of harrassment that women face through their whole lives.

I understand how annoying it is to be harassed by idiotic men but I don't see the point in stripping down and making yourself more of a spectacle.

More of a spectacle? She was minding her own business until they started harassing her.

I understand how annoying it is to be harassed by idiotic men but I don't see the point in stripping down and making yourself more of a spectacle.

It obviously worked if they stopped whistling.

Father Time, did you come here deliberately to be a troll? If yes, then fuck off. If no, then read some feminism 101 so you can learn how it's harassment to be fucking whistling at someone on the street, when sexual harassment is defined as "Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute "quid pro quo" sexual harassment when (1) submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual's employment, or (2) submission to of rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such an individual."

I understand how annoying it is to be harassed by idiotic men but I don't see the point in stripping down and making yourself more of a spectacle.

It obviously worked if they stopped whistling.

Father Time, did you come here deliberately to be a troll? If yes, then fuck off. If no, then read some feminism 101 so you can learn how it's harassment to be fucking whistling at someone on the street, when sexual harassment is defined as "Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute "quid pro quo" sexual harassment when (1) submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual's employment, or (2) submission to of rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such an individual."

hA! Why I'm not going to say that it would be wise to do that kind of thing often, I have to admit that I have when being cat called from cell windows of the local jail, I fliped up my long victorian style skirt and petticoats to show them my bloomers in responce to them asking to see my undies.

needless to say, they stoped asking.

I dont think id be brave enough to strip completely naked. thats some serious perverbial balls that lady has on her.

Err rocstar under that very definition it's not sexual harrassment since they're not her employers.

And no I did not come here to be a troll.

"it's not minor and each individual incident can't be viewed on it's own,"

Why not? How are they supposed to know that those women have to deal with this all the time?

"it's not minor and each individual incident can't be viewed on it's own,"

Why not? How are they supposed to know that those women have to deal with this all the time?

How are they supposed to know that those women have to deal with this all the time?

Because they do it to every moderately attractive woman that walks past, and consider it normal behaviour. For it to be normal means it's presumably common for guys to do that, and lots do.

So there are a lot of men who whistle at attractive women.

An attractive woman walking around the place is thus likely to get whistled at by a lot of people, right?

I would consider that to be pretty obvious to anyone thinking about it...so I conclude that if they thought about it, they must realize that the girl walking past probably does get this a lot...

i live in nz and i read in the paper yesterday that she was sent to a mental facility.

after this incident, she threw soemthing at someone in a bar and that prompted her to be put in a mental facility. i'm not sure if it was forced or not...

i looked for the link but couldnt find it (gave up quickly, though).

@merichan: I'm a NZer too. I saw the second story. Doesn't look like the strip was intended as a feminist statement. A couple of days later she stubbed out a cigarette on the face of a barworker. She's now facing charges for that and is in the Mental Health Unit of Waikato Hopsital.
I suppose it might even be possible to construe the second act as feminist in some way if one tried hard enough, but realistically it just sounds like she was just not in a very good place mentally at the time of either incident.
Here's a link to the second story: http://www.tv3.co.nz/News/Strippingtouristarrestedagainchargedwithassault/tabid/209/articleID/57276/cat/41/Default.aspx

god, sorry for multi posts. It kept not displaying so I got carried away trying to post.

"I suppose it might even be possible to construe the second act as feminist in some way if one tried hard enough"

yes, it is very possible.