So I'm told that it is really sexist and inappropriate to yell at women in the street about their physical appearance in the states. This doesn't really apply in Spain were they have "piropos".
This is basically a form of accepted catcalling as far as I can observe. It hasn't been incredibly common since my arrival, but then again I am also not a woman, and the ones with whom I walk aren't alone. If a tree falls in a forest...?
Here's a basic dialogue that would happen:
Enter attractive blond Spanish woman
Attractive blond woman walks down street with chin held high and slight frown on face. Ignores passers by, staring ahead, and makes no eye contact with men.
Enter Spaniard male on other side of street. Smiling and looking at attractive blond woman.
Attractive blond woman:
Spaniard male: !Que rubia!
Attractive blond woman:
Attractive blond woman keeps walking past, Spaniard male turns and looks behind him, then grins and keeps walking.
Today in a gender/culture studies class that I am taking to get some distribution credits through Whitman, our teacher finally explained this oddity to me. Evidently during Franco's regime (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_Franco), women were not permitted to meet men in public. Only when a couple were married could they travel together outside of the home. To accomplish some kind of flirting, the men, forced to walk on the opposite side of the street from the women, would yell out complements and such.
The tradition survived, and now it is common. In the right tone and context piropos can be taken as flattery. Now you know.
Informatively,
Tim
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