To think that wolf whistling wasn't such a bad thing?

[NovemberMorn]

Joanna Lumley has just given an interview in which she says..."I never minded wolf whistling, I always thought it was tremendous".

She also said... "I think we were a little bit tougher then. Somebody put their hand on your leg, you didn’t feel affronted and report it. You’d give them a slap.”

Do you think she is right?

Disgusting perverts, praying on young children.
But I honestly don't think that has stopped in these enlightened days of wolf whistlers being frowned on.

Used to?

Joanna Lumley also choses to work with a repeat male TV crew on her documentaries who have been knocked into shape over the years by others.
Maybe she should branch out, pick up different crew that are a bit more old school in their approach. Still plenty of them out there. Suspect they'd be sacked at the first comment.

As has been said...women and girls handled themselves back then.
I never saw myself as a victim even though I grew up in that era.

It isn't true. Men are responsible for 98% of all sexual crime.

If you want to start a thread about drunk women harassing bouncers then go ahead.

I would imagine you'd be sacked now for cat calling at a child and personally I wouldn't work with someone who shouted sexual comments at children.
Plus companies have a reputation to protect.
What company wants a reputation for employing nonces.

God, I used to absolutely HATE it. Sometimes it made me so, so angry I'd shout at the nasty buggers and tell them they were idiots. The other thing I'm glad is (mostly) gone is men honking the car horn as they drive past - oh, and "cheer up love, it might never happen".

The thing I didn't mind though was men coming up to me in the street or in bars or wherever to ask me out. None of them were ever pushy about it and I always found it rather flattering. I've seen people on here say that they hated that.

Come off it, she does various different things, acting, documentaries, do you think she has the clout to carry her own TV crew with her on everything she does?

Good. If they're that useless then they should steer clear altogether. Women don't need these nitwits whom the world has been geared to pander to.

Considering that these whistles and comments were shouted at schoolgirls in uniform (in my case) I think that any woman who felt flattered by this is a bit odd.

I'm glad that it's wholly disapproved of now, we do not need whistles or comments for daring to exist.

That’s simply not true.

Edit for clarity: not true that women can do wrong on Mumsnet

I fucking hated it, especially aged 13

She also said... "I think we were a little bit tougher then. Somebody put their hand on your leg, you didn’t feel affronted and report it. You’d give them a slap.”

Wonder how she'd have felt if one of those men she slapped responded by punching her in the mouth (or worse)?

Some truth in that.
My son worked on a building site between college. Wolf whistling was definitely frowned on..by the other workers. I dont think management ever had to get involved, it just didn't happen.

@NovemberMorn

Hand maiden comes to mind

Women and girls didn't simply 'handle themselves' back then. When they were abused or assaulted nobody listened, or they were blamed, and we didn't talk about it because we were the ones made to feel ashamed.

It wasn't talked about, it was just accepted as a part of life.

It's not more prevalent, it's just more spoken about now.

Your assertation that women just don't handle themselves any more is victim blaming.

How old are you?

When I was young, it was totally normal daily thing , but ovbs not pleasant.
now my 19 year old daughter is constantly harassed in the worst way , not wolf whistling now
its horrible comments on what they want to do to her etc . It’s completely relentless, she’s a really beautiful woman striking!
she’s taken to wearing a hat and oversized clothes even dyed her hair , naturally blonde! All on London streets and commute and constantly trying to blend in
it’s unacceptable behaviour from men
so furious that this is the case today, and there’s nothing one can do about it
in our current culture

Joanna Lumley was born into a life of privilege. She has had power since she was old enough to walk. Talking about people being tougher then is fucking ridiculous when she hasn't any idea what it is like to grow up with no power at all. Rejecting advances when Daddy is a Major and Mummy's family are close friends of the Dalai Lama is a bit bloody different to rejecting advances when Daddy is in jail and Mummy is barely braking even.

Besides, she almost 80 years old. The reality is that her opinion on what because should or should not be acceptable is less and less relevant. As ever, the young will get to dictate what is and is not acceptable to them. They will shape the world as they want it and won't give two hoots what JL thinks about it. Good for them.

Late 40s.

It was horrid being catcalled and whistled at as a preteen and young teen and beyond. Awful and thats in this country. Aswell as stalking and "men" not taling no for an answer. Yuck!

You can call it victim blaming if you like, I see it more as educating women to look after themselves.
I am not including abuse, or targetting young girls, obviously that's wrong, it was wrong then, and it's wrong now....and some of the accounts told on here are horrible.
I am talking of women being street smart enough to NOT get the vapours if a man dare look at them in an appreciative way, or God forbid....actually whistle.😁

V disappointing backwards step from Joanna. Also just seen Joanna quickly and subtly shut down by Lucy in an Amandaland promo interview, she described Amanda as more ‘batty’ before. 🙄

No it’s not ok. Not least because I personally experienced it from the age of 11 by often middle aged men. I can’t see how that’s harmless

@AlbertCamusflage "BUT I still reeeaaallly wish I could wolf whistle. I tried to learn , in my youth, but couldn't get hold of the knack. It seemed to be something - like cycling without holding the handlebars - that required testicles"

Oh, I wish I could too! My DS had to do it in a play for 6 performances and he nailed it every time. People thought he was a sound effect. I was soooooo jealous!

I found wolf whistling intimidating, threatening, and sinister. It stated that my body existed for their pleasure, with an undertone of what they wanted to do to me. Beginning from when of an age to still be in school uniform. Appalling.