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| Attention seeking may have backfired for an inspiring actress who wanted to protest street harassment. |
She got a lot off D- game from some of the denizens. She decided to post it on YouTube.
The freedom of speech stands clear. She took the opportunity to express an outrage. The people who were filmed had the right to call upon her. Some were just saying hello to her.
Others were just saying somewhat sexist comments towards her.
But give it up to Shoshana Roberts. She used hidden camera to record 108 cat calls.
The website Hollaback is dedicated to stopping what it calls street harassment.
Roberts, dressed in a T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers, got lots of remarks of the "Hey Baby" variety, along with what Gothamist calls the "most infuriating" type of catcall: A guy scolds her, "Somebody's acknowledging you for being beautiful—you should say thank you!" Writes Jen Carlson: "Ladies whenever will we learn to smile and thank our street harassers?" The creepiest encounter might be another guy who walked silently by Roberts' side for five minutes after his opening remark failed to get a response.
Now Ms. Roberts is getting death threats and rape remarks.
"The rape threats indicate that we are hitting a nerve," said Hollaback director Emily May. "We want to do more than just hit a nerve though, we want New Yorkers to realize -- once and for all -- that street harassment isn't OK, and that as a city we refuse to tolerate it," she said.
The subject of our PSA is starting to get rape threats on the comments. Can you help by reporting them? http://t.co/NMYCFd9YOm
— Hollaback! (@iHollaback) October 28, 2014
The plea worked, said Hollaback deputy director Debjani Roy: "Our community is reporting the threats on YouTube and they're being deleted."
Shoshana B. Roberts, whose bio describes her as "a bubbly and bold New York City-based actress with a black belt."
We wish Ms. Roberts a safe journey.
Be warned this video can be disturbing to some.
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