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Mumbai Film Festival is an annual international film festival organised by MAMI (Mumbai Academy of Moving Image), a not-for-profit trust founded in 1997. The <keyword id="2558540" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="16th-Mumbai-Film-Festival">16th Mumbai Film Festival</keyword> was inaugurated yesterday, but the esteemed film festival didn’t see many stars at its opening ceremony. While it can’t be said that there was no major celebrity present at the opening, seeing the presence of <keyword id="6357861" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="ranbir-kapoor">Ranbir Kapoor</keyword> and Akhsay Kumar, the opening was still not as star-studded as one would have expected it to be. This is all the way more ironical as a bunch of <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> celebrities was seen in the promotional video for the festival, only a few of whom actually came down to attend the opening. Hosted by actress and playwright Kalki Koechlin, the event saw the presence of celebrities like <keyword id="6366471" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Aishwarya-Rai">Aishwarya Rai</keyword> Bachchan, Kiran Rao, Ayan Mukherji, Shyam Benegal, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani, <keyword id="2064" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Helen">Helen</keyword>, Subhash Ghai, Satish Kaushik, Ramesh and Kiran Sippy, Siddharth Roy Kapur, Huma Qureshi, Rahul Bose, Anurag Kashyap and Deepika Padukone. After the event was declared open by Mrs Bachchan, she gave the Lifetime Achievement Award to French actress <keyword id="151333" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Catherine-Deneuve">Catherine Deneuve</keyword>, followed by one to Helen, which was presented by <keyword id="2823" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Akshay-Kumar">Akshay Kumar</keyword>, who graciously held Helen's black and golden clutch as she gave her ‘Thank You’ speech. 
	 

	The week-long festival would see more than 175 movies, from 65 countries,. There also would be chat shows with celebrities from Bollywood and world cinema, like Deepika Padukone, Catherine Deneuve, Anurag Kashyap, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Arjun Kapoor, and Arturo Guilem. 

	 
	The location of screening would be Chandan Cinema that can seat as many as 900 people. You can find the complete schedule <a href="http://www.mumbaifilmfest.org/assets/downloads/2014/Schedule_2014.pdf">here</a>. 
	 
	Image courtesy: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mumbaifilmfest">Mumbai Film Festival Facebook Page</a>

After A Not-So-Star Studded Opening, Would The 16th Mumbai Film Festival Be A Hit?

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Jonathan Ernst/ReutersObama dished out treats to children in at the 2014 White House Halloween party.</div></div></div> <ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/halloween">Halloween</a> at the White House has been a fun tradition honored by presidential administrations over the past 60 years.</li><li>It started when First Lady Mamie Eisenhower first decided to decorate the White House for the holiday in 1958.</li><li>Since then, presidents and their first ladies have welcomed costumed children to the White House to trick-or-treat on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/halloween">Halloween</a> amid festive decorations and entertainment.</li><li>Here's how Halloween is celebrated at the White House.</li></ul>Ever since First Lady Mamie Eisenhower <a href="https://www.whitehousehistory.org/press-room/press-timelines/halloween-at-the-white-house">decked out</a> the White House with faux skeletons, jack-o-lanterns, and bundles of dried corn in 1958, celebrating Halloween has been a beloved tradition of presidential administrations.Local children and children of military families are often invited to trick-or-treat as performers provide entertainment amid the festively decorated grounds. Even White House staffers <a href="https://www.whitehousehistory.org/press-room/press-timelines/halloween-at-the-white-house">get into the spirit</a> by donning costumes.Here's a look at how various administrations have honored Halloween at the White House over the past 60 years.

23 photos that show how Halloween is celebrated at the White House

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div><ul><li>HBO aired the first trailer for "True Detective" season three on Sunday night.</li><li>The new season, its first since 2015, stars Oscar winner Mahershala Ali and takes place in the Ozarks. Like the first season, the story will span decades.&#xa0;</li><li>It already looks more promising than season two.</li></ul>HBO aired the first trailer for season three of "True Detective" on Sunday night during the series finale of its summer miniseries, "Sharp Objects."Season three of "True Detective" is set to premiere in January 2019. It stars Oscar winner Mahershala Ali ("Moonlight"), Ray Fisher ("Justice League"), Scoot McNairy ("Halt and Catch Fire"), Stephen Dorff ("Blade"), and Mamie Gummer ("The Good Wife").The third season of the anthology series comes from Nic&#xa0;Pizzolatto, who created the show and wrote the first two seasons. David Milch, creator of "Deadwood," co-wrote the fourth episode of season three. The first season of "True Detective" premiered to high critical acclaim in 2014. The second season, which premiered in 2015, was highly anticipated but a huge disappointment to critics and audiences. While the first season has a 86% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, the second season only has a 63%.The third season of the series will take place in the Ozarks and span decades, as did season one.&#xa0;You can watch the trailer below:&#xa0;<div></div> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-happens-to-old-broadway-costumes-tdf-collection-rentals-musicals-plays-stage-2018-8">What happens to old Broadway costumes</a></h3> <div> </div> </div></hr>

HBO debuted the first trailer for 'True Detective' season 3 starring Oscar winner Mahershala Ali

Good morning! <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/10-things-in-politics">If this was forwarded to you, sign up here.</a> I'm Brent Griffiths. Send tips to <a href="mailto:bgriffiths@insider.com">bgriffiths@insider.com</a> or tweet me <a href="https://twitter.com/BrentGriffiths">@BrentGriffiths</a>.Here's what we're talking about today:<ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-corporate-tax-hike-infrastructure-big-companies-average-americans-2021-4">Biden says he's open to negotiating on how to pay for his $2 trillion jobs plan</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/millions-johnson-and-johnson-vaccine-doses-need-contamination-check-nyt-2021-4">62 million doses of Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine need to be checked for contamination</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-unveiled-6-executive-actions-to-curb-gun-violence-2021-4">The White House will unveil six steps on gun control later today</a></li></ul>With Jordan Erb.1. WILL BIDEN MAKE A DEAL?: President Joe Biden says <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-corporate-tax-hike-infrastructure-big-companies-average-americans-2021-4">he's willing to cut a deal on parts of his infrastructure plan</a>. He said he could accept a lower corporate tax rate than the 28% he proposed to help pay for his $2 trillion jobs over 15 years. But Biden also offered a resounding defense of both the scope of his plan and the idea that companies are not paying their fair share.<ul><li>Key quote: "We're going to - we're going to try to put an end to this. Not fleece them - 28%. If you're a mom, a dad, a cop, firefighter, police officer, et cetera, you're paying close to that in your income tax," Biden said at an event outlining his plan.</li></ul>The gap between the two parties seems difficult to bridge: Republicans have slammed the proposal for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mcconnell-says-gop-wont-support-infrastructure-plan-2021-4">stretching the definition of infrastructure</a>. They have also zeroed in on paying for it with <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2021/04/01/tax-hikes-biden-infrastructure/">one of the largest tax increases in decades</a>, not to mention that raising the corporate rate would undo part of the signature tax law enacted by former President Trump and the GOP.<ul><li>Biden may not have a choice: Without Republican support, Democrats could not lose a single vote in the Senate and currently could stomach <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/pelosi-house-majority-infrastructure/2021/04/07/be7e74ea-9707-11eb-b28d-bfa7bb5cb2a5_story.html?itid=hp-top-table-main">only two dissenters in the House</a>. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/joe-manchin-reconciliation-infrastructure-torpedo-congress-attempts-bypass-republicans-2021-4">latest broadside against the special legislative procedure of reconciliation</a>, which lets Democrats pass bills despite GOP objections, further complicates the outlook.</li></ul>2. Biden to take first steps on gun control: He plans to announce tighter regulations for buyers of so-called "ghost guns" by requiring them to undergo background checks. The White House is also instructing the Justice Department to draft model "red flag" legislation for states, an area that has received bipartisan support. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-unveiled-6-executive-actions-to-curb-gun-violence-2021-4">More on his six orders that will be announced later today.</a><ul><li>Gun control advocates have pushed Biden for more: The president built a bond with the families of those gunned down in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Biden was tasked with helping pass legislation in the wake of the tragedy while vice president, but a proposal to expand background checks narrowly failed in the Senate. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-gun-reform-law-background-checks-sandy-hook-nra-2021-3">Many activists see this as his second chance.</a></li></ul>3. 62 million doses of Johnson &amp; Johnson's vaccine need to be checked for contamination: The doses come from a Baltimore factory that already had to throw out up to 15 million doses due to contamination issues, The New York Times reports. The issue could affect Johnson &amp; Johnson's promise to produce 24 million doses by the end of the month. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/millions-johnson-and-johnson-vaccine-doses-need-contamination-check-nyt-2021-4">More on the situation here.</a><div type="image" title="GettyImages 1231492636" height="3034" width="4046" msid="81967547" hostid="261"></div>4. Jill Biden is only the third first lady to be a union member: Her membership in the National Education Association is a distinction that's not only historic but fully in line with the administration's pro-union stance. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jill-biden-union-member-teacher-why-it-matters-first-lady-2021-4">More on what it means for Biden to follow in Eleanor Roosevelt and Nancy Reagan's footsteps.</a>5. Expert says Derek Chauvin was inflicting further pain on George Floyd: Jody Stiger, an LAPD sergeant and use-of-force expert, said Chauvin had most of his body weight on Floyd for 9 minutes and 29 seconds. Stinger, a prosecution witness, also testified that Chauvin appeared to be gripping Floyd's hand as a way to inflict further pain after Floyd had stop resisting officers. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/04/07/derek-chauvin-trial-2/">More key moments from Day 8.</a>6. Federal probe is reportedly looking at Rep. Matt Gaetz's travel to the Bahamas: The Justice Department is looking into trips the Florida Republican took in 2018 and 2019 with a marijuana entrepreneur, CBS News reports. The entrepreneur, Jason Pirozzolo, allegedly paid for the trip, accommodations, and female escorts. Gaetz's office continued to deny any illegal conduct. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/federal-probe-matt-gaetz-looking-trips-took-bahamas-cbs-news-2021-4">At issue is whether any women were illegally trafficked across state or international lines.</a><ul><li>Trump broke his silence on Gaetz's case: The former president said Gaetz "never asked" for a pardon, contradicting a Times report about Gaetz asking White House officials for blanket pardon for him and other members of Congress. Trump also noted that Gaetz <a href="http://businessinsider.com/trump-statement-matt-gaetz-pardon-denied-allegations-2021-4">"totally denied the accusations against him."</a></li></ul><div type="image" title="mitch mcconnell" height="3316" width="4422" msid="81967550" hostid="261"></div>7. Mitch McConnell retracted his demand that corporations stay out of <keyword id="6358883" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="politics">politics</keyword>: "I didn't say that very artfully yesterday," the Senate Minority Leader told reporters of his earlier comments. McConnell had chastised CEOs and companies that criticized Georgia's new voting law.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mitch-mcconnell-retracts-demand-that-corporations-stay-out-of-politics-2021-4"></a><ul><li>Speaking of corporations in politics: "Visa's political action committee has resumed its political giving after a much-publicized halt following the deadly January 6 attack on the US Capitol, donating $139,000 to members of Congress and other political committees on both sides of the aisle, federal records show." <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/visa-credit-card-political-donations-pac-capitol-attack-2021-4">More from Insider's scoop.</a></li></ul>8. The top things for your calendar, all times Eastern:<ul><li>10:15 a.m.: Chauvin's trial resumes</li><li>11:45 a.m.: Biden, Vice President Harris, and Attorney General Garland make remarks on gun violence prevention </li><li>12:00 p.m.: Rep. Steve Scalise leads a group of fellow House Republicans on a trip to the border</li><li>12:30 p.m.: Jen Psaki holds the White House's daily news briefing </li></ul>9. Mike Pence reportedly has a seven-figure book deal: The former vice president signed with Simon &amp; Schuster. The news comes amid questions on <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/07/politics/pence-book-deal-trump-administration/index.html">how the publishing industry will treat Trump alums</a>. Pence's book is<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mike-pence-to-publish-an-autobiography-in-2023-with-simon-and-schuster-2021-4"> due out in 2023</a>.<ul><li>Some administration veterans are struggling: Headhunters have struggled to find a new gig for former Transportation secretary Elaine Chao, The Washington Post reports. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/04/07/former-trump-cabinet-officials-corporate-seats/">Corporations don't seem to have an interest in other former top officials either. </a></li></ul>10. Freedom fries walked so Woke Coke could run: Trump's call for a boycott of Coca-Cola is not the first time members of the GOP have deemed a food unpatriotic. In 2003, in the midst of Bush's war on terror, Republican Rep. Bob Ney renamed French fries "freedom Fries" in congressional cafeterias. <a href="https://www.insider.com/coca-cola-cancelling-gop-french-fries-freedom-fries-9-11-2021-4">A look at the history of the patriotic potatoes.</a>One last thing.Today's trivia question: Yesterday was national beer day, so pardon me while I hop back for a related question. Who is thought to be the first president to brew beer at The White House?<ul><li>Yesterday's answer: President Eisenhower had a special cabin built for him and first lady Mamie Eisenhower at Augusta National. Ike was already a member of the club that hosts the Masters before becoming president. A special cottage was thought to be the best way to accommodate his new role. The best part? After leaving office, Eisenhower made a request to have a tree he kept hitting on the 17th hole removed. <a href="https://www.augusta.com/masters/story/news/2018-08-21/augusta-national-renovating-eisenhower-cabin">He was ruled out of order and the tree stood until 2014.</a></li></ul>

10 Things in Politics: Biden wants top companies to pay up

The line to get an autograph from Mickey Mantle at a baseball card show in Westchester County, New York, was two hours long. He was the fan favorite, but my grandfather refused to wait.He insisted on cutting the line. He knows Mickey Mantle, he told us. We weren't so sure.Using a cane, he walked past the line and straight up to the table as my family trailed behind him, cringing from embarrassment."Mickey, it's Billy," he said. "Billy! I thought you were dead," Mickey Mantle replied. "I do things big," my grandfather once told me.Mickey Mantle, Lucille Ball, Main Rousseau Bocher, and film producer Robert Evans all frequented Billy Gwon's, a high-end Chinese restaurant in <keyword id="72226" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="New-York-City">New York City</keyword> bearing my grandfather's name. Its first home was on 52nd Street; later, it was moved to 58th Street, across from the Plaza Hotel. Both were unlikely locations for a Chinese restaurant in the 1950s and '60s, and my grandfather was the manager.<div type="image" title="grandpa New York Post 1941 v2 1" height="2701" width="3600" msid="82740646" hostid="261"></div>I've resisted disclosing my family history before, because it becomes unnecessary proof that I'm American, and feels like I'm teaching a lesson in breaking down stereotypes."Where are you from?" is a loaded question to me. The underlying sentiment is that you're "not <keyword id="2278207" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="From-here">from here</keyword>." The assumption is that you're not American, that you're a child of <keyword id="70933" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="immigrants">immigrants</keyword>, if not an immigrant yourself. But I'm generations removed from being an immigrant. Grandchildren and great-grandchildren of immigrants like myself exist, and our identities shouldn't be shaped by other people's judgements.<keyword id="426188" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Asian-Americans">Asian Americans</keyword> are not a monolith, and I often find myself wondering where to find older immigration stories like my grandfather's. These tales are long, complicated, unique, and nonlinear; many of my relatives traveled back and forth between the US and <keyword id="1334" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="China">China</keyword>. They're also fading from view without my grandparents here to tell them. As my family's next unofficial historian, I understand how valuable it is to tell the stories of my Cantonese family.<div type="image" title="Grandpa Grandma Ruby Foos 1939 v2" height="2970" width="3992" msid="82740655" hostid="261"></div>Before his illustrious career in restaurants, my maternal grandfather grew up during the early 1900s in the North End of Boston. He came from China as a young boy with his parents, and they became the only Asian family in a mostly Italian neighborhood. He and his four siblings slept in the back of their parents' Chinese laundry. His mother gave birth to his youngest sister there, and, with tears in her eyes, she returned to work the same day.My maternal grandmother Mamie Lee was born in Connecticut, where her parents ran a Chinese laundry. Later, the family moved to what is now East Harlem as the first Asian family in their neighborhood. Her parents ran a Chop Suey restaurant on 3rd Avenue and raised my grandmother and her three siblings a few blocks away. My grandmother met my grandfather when they worked at Ruby Foo's Den together. She worked the coat check, and he was the headwaiter. Together, they raised my mother and her four siblings in Riverdale, a suburban pocket of the Bronx. They were the only Asian children in their Catholic school.<div type="image" title="great grandparents with Nancy, Joyce, Arlene 1940s v2" height="1922" width="2870" msid="82740663" hostid="261"></div>On the other side, my paternal great-grandfather Chin Kung Gee came to the US in 1910 with the help of his uncle Chin Yook Gee, who came in the 1890s and ran a Chinese medicine shop on Doyers Street. My great-grandfather sold char siu, roasted duck, chicken, and Chinese vegetables out of a shop called Quong Woo Cheng on 25 Pell Street. Chin Ting Mow, his son and my paternal grandfather, emigrated separately to the US at the age of 19 in 1930. He went back to China to marry my paternal grandmother Moy Toy Ngan, and together they ran Mow Shen Loong grocery shop at 61 Mott Street. They raised their six sons, of whom my father was one, in an apartment a few doors down.<div type="image" title="Paternal grandmother and grandfather v2" height="454" width="670" msid="82740664" hostid="261"></div>As immigrants who traveled to the US in the 1890s and early 1900s, my family started assimilating a long time ago. That shouldn't make me any less Chinese, but it has, at times, made this part of my identity harder to nourish.My parents moved to a predominantly white suburb of New York City when my brother was a baby, and before I was born. To this day, our longest standing family friends are of Jewish, Greek, and Italian descent.In this setting, I used to think being Chinese just meant going to Chinese weddings and Chinese funerals. Otherwise, I failed to see what made my life so different.<div type="image" title="The author's parents on their honeymoon in Puerto Rico, 1966" height="1539" width="2000" msid="82740668" hostid="261"></div>We spoke only English at home, and my parents both have New York City accents, much to my mother's chagrin. But as born and bred New Yorkers, they can't escape who they are."My dad grew up in Chinatown. My mom is from the Bronx," I always say, as if to explain I'm "from here." But it also means I don't come across as "Asian enough." A fellow Asian American once told me I didn't "count" as Asian. In China, a fellow American told me, "You're not Chinese. You're American." It was hard to reconcile the two sides.I didn't fully understand what it meant to be Asian American until I lived in China as an expat. While my great-grandparents and grandparents settled in America, here I was trying to make it in China.As an aimless 20-something after undergrad, I moved to China in 2005. I wasn't trying to "find my roots," but I was curious about China's rapidly growing economy. Nine years later, I had built a solid life in Beijing, an international but decidedly monoethnic city.There, I only looked like I fit in. I had a close-knit group of expat friends, but I didn't always feel like I belonged. I was learning Mandarin, but I didn't always understand my neighbors. As soon as I spoke, locals assumed I was Korean because my tones weren't perfect. When I told them I was American, they were even more confused.<div type="image" title="Kara Great Wall by Mary Dennis" height="2000" width="3008" msid="82740674" hostid="261"></div>Still, I gained a conversational level of Mandarin. I grew accustomed to the overt friendliness of my neighbors asking me: "How much do you earn? How much is your rent? Which is better, New York or Beijing?" I developed a distaste for ice in my water (contrary to my parents). I adapted to my Beijing life.I had left behind everything I knew to establish life in a foreign land. When I returned to the US in 2014, I went back to a home that was even more foreign to me. I frowned when the wait staff added ice in my drink that I didn't want, and my New York friends had moved in other directions.It wasn't easy then, and it still isn't. Inhabiting both worlds is ongoing. I will continue, as I have, to walk the line between the words "Asian" and "American," at risk of being classified as whitewashed and at risk of being called "too Asian." <div type="image" title="Grandpa 80 1990 Lightroom v2" height="1923" width="2842" msid="82740677" hostid="261"></div>Now, part of that balancing act involves telling my family's stories. If for no one but myself, I need to preserve them. As the older generation departs, so too will these memories. And there's power in remembering their lives, because who they were is a part of who I am.No one can tell me how American I am, how Chinese I am, how Asian I am. My identity isn't defined by those who perceive me. It's an ever-evolving state, and being Asian American is a battle, a declaration, and a celebration.

I'm Asian American. Only I get to decide what that means.

<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image on-image"></div></div>About a month ago, I was catcalled.
It's happened nearly every day since, but this particular instance sticks in my mind because I did something some <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-to-do-when-catcalled-2014-7">experts</a> advise against: I responded. 
Three of my female friends and I were walking to a comedy show in Chelsea before midnight. For some reason, I lagged behind the group, and as I passed two men on a street corner, they decided to tell me how good I looked - and smelled. 
After a few moments of hesitation, I pivoted on my heels and faced them. Companionship and a few drinks must have made me brave.
"That makes women uncomfortable, you know," I stammered, my heart racing. The last time one of my friends confronted a man on the streets of New York City, he grabbed her arm forcefully. 
The guys muttered some type of explanation but no apology or acknowledgment of my perspective. They just wanted to talk to me, damn.
"I don't exist for you to look at," I persisted. "I'm not an aesthetic." I remember because I wished I had said the same words hundreds of other times. 
"But you put on that dress," the more vocal of the two argued, taking a step toward me. As my friends pulled me farther down the block, I tried to process his logic.
This week, the internet went crazy over a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/hollaback-new-york-city-street-harassment-2014-10">video of a woman walking around New York City for 10 hours</a>. That might not sound like viral material - but men reacted to her in strange and disturbing ways.
The verbal harassment she experienced ranged from "Hey baby" to "God bless you, mami" to one guy walking silently beside her for more than five minutes. That last one put my friends' stomachs in knots.
In the instance that bothered me the most, however, one man chastised her for failing to respond to him. "Somebody is acknowledging you for being beautiful," the anonymous voice said. "You should say thank you more."
<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image on-image"></div></div> 
The fear that accompanies street harassment is a real, tangible thing. As I mentioned, a random man grabbed one of my best friend's arms after she didn't respond to his sidewalk advances. I immediately shoved him off of her, and we started running. You just never know what someone is capable of. 
But people can't let that fear consume them. Not every man or woman who tries to talk to you is a sociopathic rapist or murderer. Although no one should ever have to worry about their safety, the fear isn't what bothers me the most about catcalling. It's the sense of entitlement the people committing it must feel. 
The two men before the comedy club that night used my dress as an excuse for making me uncomfortable. That man in the video wanted to be thanked simply for noticing, and commenting on, a woman's appearance. He thought it was flattering. I've heard and read many people <a href="http://nypost.com/2014/08/18/enough-sanctimony-ladies-catcalls-are-flattering/">defend that perspective</a>. 
Based on my experience though, some men feel their "right" to speak to a woman supersedes her desire to just walk, or think, or exist without being bothered. It's unnecessarily invasive and downright sexist.
I'm never afraid when a man tells me to "smile." Usually, older guys, even grandfather types, have said that to me. They probably mean well. But their words aren't any less problematic. I highly doubt a man would ever tell another man to "smile" if he looked upset. 
If any of these guys truly cared about my emotional state, they'd ask me why I wasn't smiling. They'd engage. But they don't care. They want me to smile so I'll look prettier. My furrowed brow ruins the aesthetic. They don't understand one important detail though: I don't exist to look attractive for men.
That false license some men give themselves - thinking they have the "right" to engage verbally, sexually, romantically with a woman - can lead to tragedy. Because when women violate that supposed liberty, when we say "no" or ignore advances, some men kick, punch, strangle, or even worse. That's where my fear creeps in.
As it turns out, my friends and I took a wrong turn on the way to club that night. We had to turn around and pass the two men a second time. I insisted we walk on the other side of the street though. They just laughed as our heels clacked quickly across the pavement.

You Searched For "MAMI 2014" and got 6 results

After A Not-So-Star Studded Opening, Would The 16th Mumbai Film Festival Be A Hit?

Nandini Sharma

23 photos that show how Halloween is celebrated at the White House

Chelsea Greenwood

HBO debuted the first trailer for 'True Detective' season 3 starring Oscar winner Mahershala Ali

Carrie Wittmer

10 Things in Politics: Biden wants top companies to pay up

Brent D. Griffiths

I'm Asian American. Only I get to decide what that means.

Kara Chin

Here's What I Hate The Most About Getting Catcalled

Christina Sterbenz

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