“Polite Catcalling” Is The Latest Positive Spin On The Age-Old Heckling Habit: Here’s How To Do It Yourself
When you first hear the word ‘catcalling,’ I’m sure some pretty negative thoughts come to mind.
Catcalling is something that not only women but people of all genders and orientations have had to deal with. Invasive or impolite catcalling can make a simple walk down the street turn into a bad experience quickly.
However, some people, specifically some men, are working to change that and make ‘polite catcalling’ a more common practice.
If you’ve never heard of polite catcalling, you should refer to our article on one of its originators, comedian Benedict Polizzi (@benedictpolizzi), who went viral on TikTok for posting videos of himself politely catcalling women on the street.
Now, you may wonder, how can catcalling ever be considered polite? In Benedict’s case, a polite catcall is a fun little trick.
He often starts his calls with a typical “Damn girl,” which is the way a lot of catcalls start out. Then, instead of saying something creepy or explicit, he hits strangers with wholesome compliments.
For instance, one of my favorite catcalls from Benedict’s videos is “Damn, girl. You look like you always refill the Brita!”
The stranger to whom Benedict shouted this had a big smile on her face and enthusiastically agreed with him.
If you’re looking to politely catcall or think this is something your partner or crush may like, here are a few things to keep in mind. You can use this like a ‘polite catcalling guide,’ if you will.
Petryshak – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual person
If you know the person you want to politely catcall doesn’t like being the center of attention, then I wouldn’t recommend publicly shouting it out as Benedict does, and maybe try keeping it to a one-on-one conversation or text.
While a lot of the polite catcalls start with “Damn,…You look like…” you don’t want to comment on someone’s body or their appearance. That completely defeats the purpose of polite catcalling and draws a little too close to the invasive and impolite catcalling we hear on the street.
Instead, focus on something entirely wholesome and appropriate. For instance, tell your crush they look like they know how to do their taxes, look like they get (or got) good grades, or look like they respect their elders. Again, it’s all about keeping it really wholesome.
Now, you may be thinking, “How is this polite catcalling? Isn’t this just complimenting people?”
While this does have to do with complimenting people, the point of politely catcalling is to compliment people with a twist.
Polite catcalling will (hopefully) offer someone a pleasant surprise. You’ll certainly grab their attention with that first “Damn,” but instead of making them feel violated, you make them feel happy or appreciated.
Have you ever tried politely catcalling someone? If so, how did it go?
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