Imagine you are a USC undergraduate woman with a fairly competitive "feminine" look going on, walking down a nearly deserted side-street in an outfit that is (as they say) "revealing." (It's not your fault, the cut of the clothes coercively sexualizes your body: they were given to you by a distant aunt and are the only clothes you own.) You are aware that you are drawing some attention: A dodgy-looking guy, approaching you along the sidewalk, appears to be eager to extract visual pleasure from you. Indeed, you sense that he is staring. Do you look at/acknowledge this bearer of the male gaze to deflect his voyeurism, let him know that you see him back? Or do you ignore him? If you ignore him, it may enrage him and lead him to seek acknowledgment (perhaps violently). On the other hand, if you acknowledge him, he may misinterpret it as "come-hither" and it may garner you unwanted attention. He is drawing near, so you'll need to make up your mind soon whether to make eye contact or not...
1 comment:
I would ignore the beast!
Walking on as if he weren't there is the only way to prevent him from thinking that an advance were welcome. He has probably already interpreted the clothing as a "come hither" sign, and awaits any inkling of encouragement to ravage...
Sounds so predatory...
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