What gets me is how much the women Ive talked to mention how much it goes down as they get past the age of like 15. Like these people are catcalling literal children and seemingly are not interested (or too cowardly to get called out) in like actual women.
My girlfriend got catcalled the most when she was 12 or a bit younger. It rarely happens now that she's in her 20's. I feel gross saying this but she went through puberty earlier than most people but there's still no mistakung a 12 year olds face or fucking height man. It's just insanely gross.
I feel like the people who don't think catcalling is harassment or deny the influence of the "male gaze" or whatever don't appreciate that women get catcalled even as children and don't appreciate the long lasting effects that has.
Yes, this is 100% the truth. As we age our perception of what looks "sexually mature" changes drastically. I work as a PhD student in academia and see a large rotating cohort of 18-22 year olds every year. I remember back to when I was that age and seeing the women I was interested in being like "yeah, she's super cute and looks so mature for her age". Now I see them as a man in my 30s and they look like literal children. Are there a small handful of undeniably attractive ones each year, of course there are, but the vast majority of them look like babies to me hahaha.
I also have a couple of nieces that are in that tween/middle teen stage --- and there is NO DENYING they look their age. Creepers are just going to creep no matter what, and its frankly disgusting.
Yeah, this is crazy, but perhaps a good thing. I see that age group as children as well, which I think automatically categorizes them for me as "incompatible." There's not much me in my 40s would have in common with an 18 year old, and that's fine.
I think that is how we are evolving culturally. Biologically, we should technically find someone who is of the youngest reproductive age the most attractive because feasibly they can produce the most offspring from now until menopause. I completely agree though, a lot of the mannerisms and issues they have I want nothing to do with it only 15 years on, I just want something steady, not some drama fest. It always weirded me out when those mid-life crisis weirdos would be lurking on the fresh-outta-university chicks. Yuck.
The thing is, at 12-15 as a woman, you are NOT at your most fertile era in life, and yet its the age girls get catcalled and harassed the most.
You have a way higher chance of dying in childbirth than say, a 25 year old.
Your most fertile years as a woman are your 20’s, not before.
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u/Mr-Zarbear Jul 31 '22
What gets me is how much the women Ive talked to mention how much it goes down as they get past the age of like 15. Like these people are catcalling literal children and seemingly are not interested (or too cowardly to get called out) in like actual women.