I was cruising your key words, and found this. Since you ask ... this behavior reminds me of my step-son's behavior. (not Ken's child -- my ex-wife's). I didn't have much of anything to do with raising him, but I have been attempting to re-parent him. This type of stuff has been a big issue for him and I to talk about. He claims that too many women get mad if he doesn't compliment them and flirt with him. He says they expect it and so he wants to give them what they want and be friendly. I tossed that shit back at him time and time again, until I actually watched him in public. Many women actually do want that type of attention. It kindof turned my stomach when I watched this behavior actually be successful, and figured out that many women really did seem to enjoy that type of attention. Even when I was out campaigning, and collecting signatures at MATC, he was successful at getting phone numbers from women on the green! It rapidly became a case of my having to try to teach him discretion, and to attempt to teach him to recognize signals when women wanted to be left alone. It helped a *lot* when a woman friend of mine got mad at him for saying something along the lines of a pick-up line. Problem was, he behaves like that so much that it has become second-nature to him, and he didn't even fully realize how offensive he had been. They really do think that women *want* to hear this type of stuff! And, that is based on so many women either coldly ignoring it, or positively responding. I don't even fully feel comfortable leaving this comment, as it seems like I am "blaming the victim". I am a radical feminist; I don't mean to be blaming women. All I can say is that the patriarachy has screwed up both genders, and we really do need to teach men that we do *not* like this type of attention. I am doing my best with my step-son, but he still irks me with this. Even the sons I have raised back him up when he starts saying women want to be flirted with, and will get mad at them if they don't.

On the other hand, some men are just plain assholes.

Ken says they get it from the media culture, and from watching too much television. It tells them that men should be constantly flirting with women, and it is okay to be a jerk to women because when you find the right one you will "fall in love" and quit being a jerk. So sad.