RE: I'm Genuinely Curious--What Do Men Actually Expect When They Catcall a Woman?
2 different issues here.
1- the dude who attacked a woman for ignoring his cat calls is out of whack. That's a losing move in the game of life/sex/love and there may be some underlying mental issues going on there.
2-what do men actually expect when they cat call a woman? To me it's just biology. Have you ever gone outside on a summer night and listened to the symphony of creatures cat calling to each other? It's deafening with the cicadas here sometimes in the south! that's just what animals do! The males show off...elaborately choreographed displays of fancy plumage, rhythmic croaking or chirping, sports cars and "hey hottie" calls, and the females choose to which male they will respond.
Human male and female animals are not unique exceptions to biology. Only we have more highly developed egos and we have crafted ways to protect those fragile things. In an effort to feel somewhat superior we try and use shame (poison to the ego) to tame or dismiss those natural biological actions.
There's definitely a biological urge. I asked my husband about it when I was writing this, as he used to work in construction in his youth. He said they would get fired for catcalling, but the urge was there. He even said some women would walk by and flash their breasts at the crew. Those were women looking for sex with a stranger, but that's not MOST women. Most women know we have to be wary of strangers in this day and age, because of that "stranger danger" thing. I mean, yes, men we know can be dangerous to us, too. But, we feel more ill at ease around strangers giving us this kind of attention, because we don't know what to expect from them.
I always thought catcalling was just bad manners. But, there is probably a biological urge to do it. I would hope we have evolved enough to find other ways of getting each other's attention, though. If a guy I knew personally catcalled me, I'd think it was fun and cool. But, when a stranger does it, it's creepy.