Last summer I lived in New York City, commuting 45 minutes every day by subway.

One particular Monday, I exited the Fulton Street station, wearing modest heels, a pencil skirt and button down blouse, and heard someone whisper to me, “I want to put my baby in your belly.”

My face turned white and I spun around, but whoever he was was gone already.

“Catcalling” has been a huge topic in the media lately, with the infamous video of woman walking through New York City, and three minute video of a woman walking through downtown Cairo, and finally, Jessica Williams segment on the Daily Show: “Feminized Atmosphere.”

Additionally, there have been multiple articles written about this issue with women becoming more comfortable telling their story and, although this is a generalization, the typical manifestation of the discourse is for catcalling and its prevalence to be demonstrated, contrasted by the following conversation as to whether or not it is detrimental to individuals and overall society to treat women similarly to the way we treat animals.

This project, if executed properly, will demonstrate the similarities between dog treatment in the street and cat calling.

Personally, this affects me every day when I leave my house. It is gritty, cold, but funny in the way it is trying to execute a disturbing idea.

The catcallers in my video are faceless, just like the man who catcalled me.

The women, however, walk the line between animal and human, the dilemma between what you feel on the inside and how this is expressed on the outside.

The piece itself is playful in the execution and the idea. I will convey that tone by using actors who are fully committed to the potential impact of the video. This is imperative, because it helps the audience, who may have trouble understanding the full impact of catcalling and the severity of it. It helps them because it introduces them to the idea via simile.

I want them to feel conflicted about their feelings.

I want them to find it funny but also to reflect on their past actions.

I want them to challenge their own life schemas and the ways they conduct themselves, specifically what conduct they believe to be true.

 

Relephant Read:

10 Hours of Walking in NYC as a Man

 

Author: Layla Lakos

Editor: Emily Bartran

Photo: Video Still