At some point in the past decade, the word “creepy” evolved into it’s current form. Previously, “creepy” was reserved for Halloween costumes, deformed movie villians and real-life serial killers. Freddy Kruger is creepy. John Wayne Gacy is creepy. Slowly, subtly, common usage changed. I texted female friends to pin down the definition of “creepy”. Here’s what I got back:
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Hula Hooper Extraordinaire: unnerving, unsettling, my spidey senses are tingling in a bad way
Chastity: it means he touches you or follows you or won’t go away. he invites himself along or has conversations that are sexual in nature or he makes sexual comments to you or about your friends when any of the above is unwanted
Princess Bubblegum: When a guy stares constantly or says weird ass shit or calls and texts constantly
Boobie McGoogle: They don’t like him, he’s too much and might need to back off, says inappropriate stuff…etc haha
Kitten: Creepy is a funky vibe I get off someone. Like im sitting at a bar and a creep is the guy who is staring at me and keeps staring after I give the signal that I am not interested. And it give me a feeling of ‘dont go to the washroom. He will either stick something in my drink or follow and attack me’
Bangs-Cover-Forehead: Ooh. Hm… Well a creepy guy could be a couple things. Either he’s following u around when u say leave me alone… He doesn’t. Um won’t stop calling when u dont Answer any of his txts or phone calls… Hm…This is kinda tough. Lol. Um when u first meet him he starts talkin about way too personal shit and might want ur opinion (but that could be just me)…
Scarlet & Gay: When a guy leers at me, or does the weird creepy touch or tries to sniff you(wtf?)…or if he lurks around or stalks you or if he just has the creepy vibe. Its hard to explain”
Lola: To me i think its when he doesnt leave you alone and makes comments and makes you feel uncomfortable
Tbag: Depends could look creepy(weird curly comb over and gross skin). Or creepy like saying weird shit (like a stuffed chipmunk collection, or first time u hang out they already planing trips to see Yellowstone.)
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While the definitions vary somewhat, there is a recurring theme: creepy means “sexually interested but unattractive”. An old guy with a cleft lip and club foot minding his own business isn’t creepy. An old guy with a cleft lip and club foot attempting to avoid detection while taking your picture without approval is creepy.
Babe: Oh my god, Becky, that guy keeps checking me out, he’s so creepy.
Now substitute with my definition…
Babe: Oh my god, Becky, that guy keeps checking me out, he’s so interesting in having sex with me but he is unattractive
Imagine Johnny Depp or Brad Pitt staring at a woman like a piece of meat. The result? Niagara Falls in her Victoria’s Secret drawers. An attractive man expressing his desire is an ego boost. Such a handsome bastard desiring her validates her own attractiveness. The unattractive man expressing his desire is an ego deflator, as if that man feels qualified to get with her. Most women fear having their wombs polluted with unworthy sperm and this is why they have such a “gut feeling” and negativity towards “creepers”.
“Um when u first meet him he starts talkin about way too personal shit and might want ur opinion”
“saying weird shit (like a stuffed chipmunk collection, or first time u hang out they already planing trips to see Yellowstone”
omg, Mystery! How have you sunk so low!
[...] It’s the term women use to castigate sexually unattractive guys interested in them. Published: January 6, 2012 Leave a Comment Name: Required [...]
You might actually be onto something here. I was just thinking that for me creepy means unwanted attention/behaviour. But then I thought, I don’t mind a man whistling at me as I walk down the street, or admiring my chest…. now would I be offended if a man were to streak through the city… if they were ok looking and not looking like a pedophile or The Brain from Freakazoid.
Supports the last paragraph.
“Niagara Falls in her Victoria’s Secret drawers.”
lol
We dissected this in more detail at feministcritics earlier this year:
http://www.feministcritics.org/blog/2011/04/14/amanda-marcottes-alternatives-to-pickup-advice-that-arent-really-alternatives-noh/#comment-168104
(it starts with that comment, read on from there)
We ripped some femmie to shreds and conclusively proved that “creepy” is but pure bullshit, as is “sexual harassment”.
Heck, a lot of women openly admit that creepy is just a label you use to shame guys. An ex-feminist wrote a post comparing slut-shaming to creep-shaming.
http://scentednectar.blogspot.com/2011/10/stop-slut-shaming-elevatorguy.html
Good stuff, thanks for the links. Never seen those sites before.