Sophie Ellis-Bextor concert. Ugh

If I was wearing a short skirt I wouldn't be bending over at the waist at all, I'd just bend my knees if i needed to bend down - isn't that what others would do? I mean if she didn't like the wolf whistling every time she did it then it's easily remedied surely?

Or she could just have said something to the crowd like 'I know we were all around in the 80's but lets leave the wolf whistling back there shall we?' I'm pretty sure she could handle the crowd, she's always come across as pretty confident to me - I don't think she's being given enough credit here!

Does it matter? We can still call out inappropriate behaviour when we see it.

When people seem not to understand the difference between a woman wolf whistling a man and a man wolf whistling a woman, is that genuine or is it faked? As in, do some people genuinely not understand the effect of thousands of years of patriarchy?

So I guess you think its ok for builders to sexual harass women walking past in summer wear

That is never OK.

But using language like 'showing off' perpetuates the misogyny. They are just her legs. They happen to suit a short skirt.

So it just perpetuates this misogynistic DM language along the lines of 'flaunting', 'stepping out'. That then filters down, or becomes so insidious you don't notice it. Then women in short skirts (including for example, girls in school uniform) = fair game for wolf whistlers because: Look, there they are showing off/drawing attention to their legs. Rather than just walking. Using their actual legs. (I mean, obviously anything is fair game for sexual harassment, but I'm trying to make a point about language and not doing it very well!)

I know you are naming it in the context of a stage show and of course, SEB is a performer, so you could say her whole act is 'showing off'. But it's not just her legs doing the work here!

& the groupies desperate to sleep with them.

I don't think it's about that. More like, how does the audience feel about being stuck with these men who are just caricatures of gross blokes?

That’s true actually about MN. It’s weird.

Female performer incorporates moves to titillate audience and op is offended when audience members show their appreciation of being titillated by wolf whistling, a traditional manner of expressing delight.

If the performer was offended she could have stopped or asked for people to sit their glum faced and pursed lips whilst she deliberately bent over to cause titilation.

Do we know how S E-B feels about it?

I think MN feminists like to forget about women throwing bras and knickers on stage at rockstars.

Perfectly said.

😂

Exactly.

I have visions of several women on here adorning themselves in dishwater-brown clothing and telling women they’ll be rewarded for acquiescing

audience is half made up of bald men over 50
...ageist and hairist!

Second post on the thread OP uses the word 'celebrate'. Discussion of empowerment on p3 of the thread. It's also a fairly common sentiment expressed about women who wear revealing clothes. Just wondered if anyone could explain their thinking is all.

It would be the same at a concert fronted by a man. No different. If it was Morton Harket I would be doing more than a wolf whistle if he bent over. It’s a SHOW

Having sex appeal is a huge part of being a star. I wouldn't be offended on her behalf when she most likely didn't care herself.

I don't want to speak for the OP but to my mind it doesn't matter if SEB was offended. The men were in a room with a lot of other people, behaving in a rude way that was not in keeping with the vibe of the show. Much like a person rudely heckling a comedian, I would be annoyed about it.

@KimberleyClark, yeah, you tell them girl 🙄

Janice Joplin in concert in the Newport Folk festival in 1968:
https://www.gannett-cdn.com/media/2020/09/11/Providence/ghows_gallery-PJ-731009999-29c4ccac.jpg?width=1184&format=pjpg&auto=webp&quality=50

Sorry if I’m coming across as anti feminist and I am absolutely not. I just can’t stand it when people get offended on behalf of someone else.

Do we know 100% for sure that Sophie Ellis Bextor is offended? Is any woman who is not outraged at a wolf whistling in any context automatically not feminist?

So all men over 50 attending a concert by female artists are grim?
Is that just for pop concerts or other genres?
What about book readings?

Oh the irony. People can post whatever they like, within reason. Posters have differing views. Some of these points are out of context.

there has been some effort gone into making this list, but at the same time it’s a lazy post.

Where did you see that she'd been elevated into a celebration of female empowerment?

Is my Mumsnet misogynist-infiltrators’ bingo card full yet?

'She knew what she was doing'. ✅
'I couldn't get worked up about that'. ✅
‘OP, how dare you post a thread about this!’✅
‘Women are not allowed to challenge sexism. If you’re harassed, it’s your own fault’. ✅
'Women do it too'. ✅
‘It must have been a joke! (see also, ‘where’s your sense of humour?’). ✅
‘Empowerment means covering up your skin’. ✅
‘It’s all about the woman’s ego’. ✅
‘She was asking for it and got the reaction she was looking for’. ✅
‘Men don’t have to be undressed to be empowered’. ✅
‘Wolf whistling is a form of harassment now?’ (in a tone of faux-innocent surprise). ✅
‘You’re not being as feminist as you think you are!’ ✅

House!

Could someone please explain to me how a conventionally attractive woman showing off a pair of legs that meet the stereotypical requirements for female beauty is an act of empowerment? Either for the woman herself or any other woman? Also, why being fortunate enough to meet societal standards for beauty is something that should be 'celebrated'? And if so, by whom? And in what way? Because I'll staunchly defend the rights of any woman to wear what she likes, and just as robustly condemn unwanted male attention. But am genuinely curious as to how and why a woman with great legs in a short skirt has been elevated into a celebration of female empowerment.