Do "Almost Acceptable Catcalls" Exist?

I'd like to think most men in this world already know that catcalling is a totally unacceptable form of flirting; but hey, it seems not everyone has gotten the memo, since it sure keeps on happening. So when is it OK to comment on a woman in the street? Never. OK, almost never, according to a very tongue-in-cheek new video from Internet Action Force, which posits that not all catcalls are created equal. In fact, there might even be some catcalls that are almost acceptable — if a guy is doing them right. You're just not likely to ever hear them IRL.

But first, a few words about catcalls in general: Believe it or not, women are actually not united on this front, and have all sorts of different reactions to them. While science has actually proven that most women don't like catcalls, it's also been shown that a surprising handful of women do. But regardless of those that do, it's impossible to ignore that catcalling is inherently problematic, offensive, and, yeah, unacceptable.

Just consider the last time it happened to you: Do you really think the dude shouting at you actually cared about who you were, or didn't say the same thing to someone else three blocks back? Nope. Because catcalls aren't about making you feel good about yourself or paying you compliments, even if guys like to claim that this is how we should take it. No, catcalls are about guys wanting to make sure that you, random stranger, know what they think about you — and that you acknowledge their attention, whether you're interested in hearing it or not, and whether you like it or not. And there's nothing you can do about it.

Personally, I've had all sorts of different reactions to catcalls — some have made me feel threatened, some have made me feel gross, and some actually did make me feel flattered. But regardless, it's that inherent power imbalance of the whole exchange that makes me feel icky about catcalls, no matter what the actual comments might be.

According to this new video by Internet Action Force, though, if a guy absolutely can't help himself and just has to catcall a woman (although let's all reminder ourselves that you always can help yourself, and you never just have to catcall anyone), there is one acceptable way to go about it: Compliment the hell out of her with witty pro-feminist anecdotes and supportive accolades, of course. Because even though there is still nothing OK about shouting things at strangers on the street, giving them a round of applause for being a truly badass, glass-shattering female just might be.

Examples include:

"You Look Smart. You Must Have a Masters. In Science!"

"Don't Break My Heart; Break That Glass Ceiling!"

"I'm Voting For Hillary Clinton"

"Check Out Your Confidence. You Don't Even Need Me To Validate."

"It's OK If You Wear Clogs. I Love Them!"

"Do You Have A Moment To Share Your Point Of View?"

You can find other (equally hilarious) examples of "acceptable catcalls" in the video below:

Images: Internet Action Force/YouTube (6); Fotolia