White man walking in NYC: Funny Or Die parodies Hollaback street harassment (VIDEO).

Sure, Street Harassment Is a Problem. But What About What It’s Like for White Men?

Sure, Street Harassment Is a Problem. But What About What It’s Like for White Men?

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Slate's Culture Blog
Oct. 30 2014 12:11 PM

Sure, Street Harassment Is a Problem. But What About What It’s Like for White Men?

funny_or_die_harassment

In the couple of days since Hollaback’s anti-street harassment video went viral, we’ve heard about the merits of the experiment (video proof that the harassment women describe actually happens on a regular basis) as well as the downside of its presentation (why were most of the white catcallers edited out of this video?). And of course, we’ve heard from the men who still just don’t get it.

But what about what it’s like for white men? We can’t forget about what it’s like to walk around the city in their shoes, as this new Funny Or Die parody reminds us.

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Like any good parody, the video exaggerates the situation well beyond reality, and the fact that navigating society continues to be easier for white guys is always worth pointing out (the searing coda is spot-on). Still, I look forward to seeing someone perform a real experiment with a man, so we can truly see how wildly different the experiences of men and women are.

Aisha Harris is a Slate culture writer and host of the Slate podcast Represent.