“What we wish construction workers would really say”

By Liza Donnelly

I’ve been following prolific, funny, and smart cartoonist Liza Donnelly on twitter for a while now. You can find her work regularly in The New Yorker and on Women’s Enews. Her cartoons have been published in many other impressive publications and she is the author of several books.

A few months ago I asked her if she’d created any cartoons about street harassment. She told me that yes, there is one in her newly released book, When Do They Serve the Wine? The Folly, Flexibility, and Fun of Being a Woman. I read it this week – it’s fantastic – and Liza gave me her permission to post the above street harassment cartoon on my blog for you all to enjoy.

Via e-mail, Liza explained why she created this cartoon:

“First of all, the construction worker scene is such a cliche scenario for sexism, so I wanted to use it somehow in a cartoon.  I decided to simply flip it to show what some of us women would rather hear. At the same time making fun of our positions as women and what we want to hear.  As I have gotten older now, I don’t get looked at on the street as I used to, which is liberating…but also I find myself strangely wondering what’s wrong with me if I don’t get looks or sexual chides. Then I remember that I am ‘old’ (I’m only 55!).”

Thanks, Liza, for ensuring that women’s experiences and perspectives are found in the male-dominated cartooning world and thank you in particular for showing that the catcall-type street harassment women experience is not truly a compliment and is not what we want to hear. Be sure to check out Liza’s work and her latest book! Oh, and follow her on twitter, @LizaDonnelly.