Did women used to enjoy being catcalled?

@Waitfortheguinness
"But I think the dynamics have changed over the last couple of decades and there’s more lean towards trying to shock or demean the individual. Far more likely now to come out with a disgusting comment, trying to impress their peers and the more uncomfortable the woman seems the better."

Sorry but this is nonesense. The "hayday" of catcalling was was the late 60's and all through the 1970's. I had lewd (and sometimes) obscene comments shouted at me from the age of 12. For example, I had very striking strawberry blonde hair and I can't tell you the amount of times workmen shouted "do your pubes match love". On another occasion, when I was 13 and in my school uniform, one man shouted at the top of his lungs from scaffolding "what you need is 13 inches of throbbing wet dick". That was 1970.

I don't know a single woman from my era who enjoyed it. Men could do and say exactly what they like back then - and they did frequently. It was quite normal to get groped at least once a day at work and for comments to be made about your boobs or arse, as if you weren't human. There was no-one to complain to, and even if you did you were told you were frigid or a lesbian.

My mother told me all the time I was hideously ugly and so I found it really flattering and it boosted my confidence 😔

Your mother is weird. I'm 62 and have always HATED it, especially when I was a teenager (often in school uniform) and would get wolf whistled or shouted at by builders up ladders or driving past in a van.

It made me feel horribly self-conscious and vulnerable.

Nobody likes having "Wahey, get your tits out darling!" shouted at them.

Honestly, I think some women did and some women didn't. We're all different. I hate attention, for example, others don't.
Certainly not true to say all women enjoyed it. Equally untrue to say all women disliked it.

I remember my dad catcalling at women out of the car in the 70s with my mum & us children in the car 😳

I’m 60. I hated it.

When l was a Goth in my late teens and early 20’s l used to tell them to fuck off.

All these men who catcalled are probably married with families and daughters. It's such a strange thing to think about

I'm quite a lot younger than your threshold so haven't voted but perhaps because I'm from a small town it was still really common when I was a teen/younger woman. I don't live there anymore but I can say it was a mixed thing, on the one hand at the time I think I regarded is as being seen as attractive, but I was also quite naive about men and I think it also contributed to making me even more self conscious than I already was. Which is a shame because I was already very shy at that time.

Kerb crawling was awful.

It happened to me all the time when I was younger & I found it extremely tedious. It was definitely intimidating at times as well - men would shout stuff out of cars, often hard to discern something like “woooordarlinnicetits” and if you ignored them they’d pull up ahead of you or drive along slowly next to you. That could be scary more than tedious.

Am 55 and always hated it. Used to cringe walking past building sites. Men would shout things from cars. It made me feel humiliated and embarrassed and never felt like a compliment but like a horrible power play.

55+ here - never liked it, but wasn't scared either. I did consider it harmless - but not sure if it really was or if it was context.
(No ubiquitous violent porn in everyone's pocket)

I’m 65. I used to cross the road/take the long way round if possible to avoid this .I was never any good at flirting, and could only think of the witty comeback long afterwards. I used to dread passing groups of men. I hadn’t much confidence then, not much now either, but better than I was. I love being 65 .

Odd response from someone in their 40s - it's normally slightly older folk who enjoy it (though not all older folk).

I’m 44 and got cat called frequently as a teenager and told my random men on the street to smoke and would get my arse felt up in night clubs too. I hated it. Would give them the Vs and push away the gropers. How any woman liked this is beyond me, it perpetuates the stereotype that women’s bodies / looks are all that is important about them. Thank goodness times have changed.

Absolutely hated it (I'm nearly 60). I don't know anyone who liked it - all my friends were the same as me.

We were all pretty aggressive in telling them to fuck off too. Which horrified my mother, who thought I should be flattered.

It's male entitlement and an expression of dominance, othing to do with attraction or appreciation.

@HedgehogCabinFan but i still get revved at crossing the road by wankers to make me jump. Exactly the same thing. It's not flattery, it's aggression.

I'm 60 and hated it, particularly when I was a teenager. Even worse was being told to smile or cheer up. I'd want to say that I'd cheer up if they'd piss off and leave me alone.

This definitely.
Im now 60 so it was constant in the 70s and 80s.

I used to let it wash by me - I was neither flattered nor offended. It was just part of being a woman.

I'm 53 and yes I'd have liked it and been flattered, but I rarely ever got called or whistled at.

I did not enjoy it, never felt it was a compliment. I didn't like it, but never felt threatened by those men. It didn't cross my mind that they might be predators.

I was also told "it's just what men do." But it was never a good thing, just something women had to put up with.

62 here and I HATED it! Constantly being looked at by men and women. I even rang a chat show on LBC (Mike someone or other anyone remember him) to complain about ocular rape!
Now I’m invisible it is somewhat of a relief though I wouldn’t mind turning the odd head occasionally. Honestly it’s feast or famine.
Don’t despair if you are fed up with the attention, in a few years it will disappear. I think older women would have a great career as spies or shoplifters as nobody can see us haha

It use to just be a wolf whistle.
I would be a little embarrassed, ignored it but flattered.
I didn't engage with them.
Never saw it as predatory or frightening.

In our small High Street there are 3 barbers shops. I notice that young girls (Y9 +)
preening themselves as they walk past.

One shop in particular, the guys have a table and chairs outside and they sit there leering at the girls. They make comments in their own language about them.

I find it offensive but some young girls deliberately cross the road to walk past this shop.

I am 58.
And no, being objectified and commented on by brain dead uneducated apes whilst going about my life as a young woman was NEVER a complement.
Because I have self worth and never needed or looked for male validation.

It used to give me so much rage that if I could have avoided prison, I would actually have gone up and killed them because they were pointless life forms on this planet.