Everybody appreciates a little playful, amorous attention now and again, it does the ego good. What is not appreciated is overly aggressive, foul mouth hollering that can be heard for blocks. And the coin flips both ways. But more often than not, men are the catcalling culprits. So it's always interesting to hear about what happens when shoes swap feet as they say.
Redditor u/MaxwellWillamette wanted hear about the times the shoe was on the other foot by asking.... Men who've been catcalled before, what was it like and how did you feel about it?
even stevens point GIFHard No
Back in high school I made the mistake of sitting deeper into the cafeteria (that's where all the scummy people sat) and I sat opposite a girl completely at random. She gets my attention and says "hey would you want to go out with me"?
Her friend has this smile on her face that tells me what I already know which is they're teasing me. So I ignore her and continue having my lunch.
She taps me again and says well, do you? Still both of them with this smile like they're waiting for their gotcha moment. I look at her dead faced and simply say, no. Then I walk to the front of the cafeteria where the relatively normal people are.
A Hard Stare
At all points in my life and all contexts, this.
Once a car full of girls pulled up tires screeching in front of me and they all started calling me handsome. I just did the whole "stare at them as if you are a psychopath" thing and kept walking because I was 100% expecting them to make fun of me, or that I was being recorded as part of those reaction stunts.
To this day I wonder if they were really hitting on me or if it was a prank. I mostly think it was a prank, otherwise it would have happened again.
Are you Sure?
joke drums GIF by neomagazinroyaleGiphyIt's not great because the first time it happened they were joking to see if I'd respond, and every subsequent time it's happened my mind immediately thinks they're still joking.
Ren Folk
It happened at a Renaissance festival. It was a little embarrassing and awkward. I didn't take it personally, though. I figured they were just trying to sell me something.
Naw man, that was probably legit. Ren Faire folk are horny.
They're basically all drama/band nerds, spending an entire weekend at an event where nearly everybody is getting sauced after (and during) hours and your tent (or someone else's) is always a short walk away.
I'd rather not...
I was about sixteen and pumping gas into my car when someone driving past catcalled me. I felt kinda flattered at first but then decided they were probably making fun of me and wished it hadn't happened.
Weird yet Playful
From women? It felt like their game was off. Like either they were unsure how to proceed and felt awkward about it or just lacking practice.
Gay guys were much more fun and playful. Basically what I would aspire to be when flirting with women. How ironic.
Creepers
matt anderson creep GIFGiphyOnly by friends, for fun. I've had girls creep on me, while out walking and ask me if I wanted to go to a party. I always thought that's how I'll wake up in a bathtub with no kidneys.
Good Ole Gays
I've been hit on by guys and girls and I gotta say, the girls were way creepier and when i told them I was uncomfortable I was suddenly the sexist pig for not wanting anything to do with them. The guys were surprisingly way sweeter but maybe gay guys are just nicer than straight guys idk.
Similar Feels
Jack Nicholson Thank You GIFGiphyIt's embarrassing at the same time as being a bit of an ego boost. Awkward when you're not good at getting compliments.
Meat marketing
I (male 26) used to work in an office with 19 coworkers - all female. They were all much older except for one. Anyways, I've been caressed, hugged, touched, kissed on the cheek, etc. more times than I could ever recall. For a 21-year-old recent college grad, I loved the attention. Looking back, there were a few instances that were grounds for HR. But the women there treated me very well (aside from the flirting), and I liked every last one of 'em. I'm also 6'4" and in pretty good shape, so I never felt threatened. So yeah, I liked it haha.
Brazen
A guy said my shirt was funny then asked for me to turn around. I thought he was reading the back until I heard "mmmm".
To be honest, I felt a little creeped out. Later, I couldn't believe someone would be so brazenly open about checking me out, and that part made me feel a little better about myself haha.
Buzzcut
I had just gone to the barbershop a few days prior and gotten lined up and felt pretty good and fresh. I walked through the library in college wearing a well-fitting sweater with my 5/10 forearms showing and a girl whistled at me as I walked by and when I looked back she was giggling with her friends like children while looking me up and down.
It felt nice. Kind of weird, but nice nonetheless.
-[DELETED]
This fine thing
I'm a guy but I have long hair and a feminine figure (slim, with a large butt). From the front I have a beard so you can immediately tell I'm a man, but I've had guys check me out when they've only seen me from the back, and usually I find it funny, because it's never the nice kind of guy that you HEAR checking you out. So when I turn around they find out they were checking out another man's butt and as soon as they do they get REAL quiet and awkward. I like to joke that every time I trick a man into checking me out (especially the "look at THIS fine thing" kind of guy) I take their soul.
Smooth
Not really cat calling but an attractive girl walked past me and said "nice shorts" and smiled.
My dumb self said "no not really they're from Walmart"
I always wonder how differently I could have handled that situation
Any time anyone says anything about my clothes, I tell them where I got it and how much I paid. It's like a compulsion, it just falls out. "Oh, thanks, I bought it last summer at the Kohls; it was on the clearance rack for 12 bucks." Like, a simple 'thank you' is totally sufficient, but I just can't seem to stop there.
Must be joking
8 points·16 days ago
It's definitely different for men. There is simply no everyday expectation that anyone will compliment you on anything ever. Nothing. Not a chance. For a man to get catcalled is just such a weird experience that the first response is simply confusion.
Who are they talking to? Compliments aren't funny, so they can't be joking, but it appears they are in fact talking to me, so they must be joking. It's a complete dichotomy.
The next step is ambivalence. We don't know how to feel. If they are joking, then we should be offended, but if they aren't joking, then it's the happiest we've ever been. Both are possible, as they can't possibly be joking, and they have to be.
The final stage comes once we have decided whether or not they were having a go at us or not and resolve the dichotomy, even if it's just in our heads as we will likely never know their true intent.
Outwardly uncomfortable
Growing up in rural Tennessee in Christian churches, I had a lot of older women trying to set me up with their daughters, who often I'd never even heard of. It also made me pretty uncomfortable, especially with the way they talked about me. At least with the guys it was over quickly, but women(specifically older women) would badger me despite how outwardly uncomfortable I am.
Relativity
It's happened exactly 2 times in my 37 years, and I liked it. I imagine if it happened 2 times every day for 37 years it might get a bit old.
-[deleted]
Scammed
Understand that I'm not an especially attractive guy. I had a young woman call me out for being attractive at the Union Square farmer's market in NYC. I was more confused than anything. Turned out she was trying to compliment me into applying to work at an Abercrombie and Fitch store. Very weird experience.
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Redditor Haunting-Leg1496 wanted to hear about what small, unique groups not that many of the population are a part of, so they asked:
"What rare statistic are you a part of?"
I wish I had some interesting, rare information about myself.
Alas, I'm just regular.
And you?
Mirrored
shining stanley kubrick GIFGiphy"I’m an identical twin, which by itself isn’t rare but we are bookends. I’m a righty, and he’s a lefty."
Grizzly_treats
"Same for me—actually, my twin and I are mirror twins (lefty/righty, hair whorls opposite directions.)"
leomisty
Number Swap
"I was born on the same date as another guy of the same name, and his mom had the same name as my mom. So the social security dept issued us both the same social security number. It took 18 years to figure out the mistake when I was denied a student loan because the other guy applied first. Also, his tax returns got denied for a while because I always submitted mine first. Also, I got bacterial meningitis when I was 20, which changed my eyes from blue to green."
Fixitsteven
Extra Chompers
"Myself and my dad both have/had 3 sets of teeth. Baby teeth and then two sets of adult teeth. For me, I lost my baby teeth. Adult teeth moved in over time as they do and then I’ve lost many of those over the years. Never had any teeth that needed to be removed surgically or even pulled. I have a vivid memory of when I was about 15-16 and was playing basketball with my dad. He spun around and accidentally elbowed me in the mouth."
"Knocked three teeth out and was devastated that I was going to have a huge gap for the rest of my life. Eventually, more teeth moved in to fill the space. Talked to my dentist about it years after and he confirmed that he could see the others in the X-rays. So I still have a few more to go possibly. He did agree that it was unusual."
"I should also add that the adult teeth that were lost over time didn’t just fall out on their own. I’ve been very clumsy most of my life and have been in many accidents where my mouth hit; the dashboard, and cement curb. Basketball goal pole, baseball bat, bicycle handlebars (which left me physically scared on the chin)."
Ceddy722
Faces
"I have prosopagnosia (face blindness), a mild form. I think this is actually more common than people think, but some people don't know they have it. I didn't figure it out until I was like, 35. You just go through your life thinking you're a dumdum who's not paying attention, or not realizing that other people can recognize faces well. I was also the first woman in the world to do my specific job."
weenertron
Trendy Times
gray hair runway GIF by fashgifGiphy"My hair started going Grey at 13. By the time I was 23, it was completely white."
Sweaty_Entertainer78
"White hair is so beautiful! And now it’s really trendy too."
Radiance17
My hair is greying and I do NOT approve, for me.
Maybe one day though.
Nobody to Find
Sad Season 2 GIF by FriendsGiphy"Match.com told me I'm in the 1% of the population of people they can't match a partner to. Awesomeness!!"
Aurixixen
Blessings & Courses
"On a sour note, I have multiple sclerosis. On a sweet note, I'm one of the rare cases where daily treatments have seemed to almost make my brain lesions disappear in my scans now. They went from very large to barely there, and some have even completely gone away. I'll still always have the condition and will still always need to live life on the low and slow/chill so as not to bring on a relapse, but so far I count myself blessed given how things can be with this disease."
Spuzzle91
Grumpy bandit
"False arrest. I got pulled over and arrested for bank robbery, because I happened to be driving away from the area where it just happened, in the same make/model/color vehicle as the robber, wearing the same color hoodie, same age, and description - right down to the level of baldness. The guy was known as the 'grumpy bandit' because apparently, he was more rude than your typical friendly bank robber."
LovableSidekick
Super Rare
"I am. 1 out of 14 people total worldwide who had a super rare form of chronic pulmonary histoplasmosis that tried to spread to my other organs. That was already rare but what only the 14 of us have in common is that we caught it because our T cell counts were low enough to be comparable to an AIDS patient. To this date, there is still not an explanation for our t cell counts even after genetic testing."
"My little brother also has a super rare medical condition. He has a rare unexplained brain cancer that only around 8 male children at the time of his diagnosis had. None lived past the age of five. Got approved for experimental radiation treatment and is down in history as the youngest person in North America to receive radiation treatment. Now he is 20 years old and the oldest living survivor of this cancer."
barbequeersauce
baby GIFBabies have no concept of time.
They're so inconsiderate.
