Life

Reporter Calls Out Sexist Hecklers On Live TV

by Jamie Kenney

Before today, I was happy in a way I couldn't have realized except in retrospect. You see, today I learned about #FHRITP, and now it is my sad duty to share it with you. This awful acronym stands for "Fuck Her Right In The Pussy" and it's something morons shout in an attempt to videobomb female reporters...because reasons? Super hilarious, cool, very mature reasons, I'm sure. Anyway, when a gaggle of dude-bros attempted this totally awesome prank on Toronto's CityNews reporter Shauna Hunt at a Toronto FC game, the reporter called out the hecklers on live television, and then posted the video to Twitter where it has received international attention and support. Kudos, Shauna! I have never had this shouted anywhere near me, thank goodness, but I somehow feel completely and happily vindicated by your actions!

"Are you actually filming this?" one of the dude bros asks disdainfully, as if he has any right whatsoever to be put out in this situation.

"You know what, I'm sick of this. I get this every single day, ten times a day, from rude guys like you," Hunt replies, showing more poise, class, and ability to form actually words through what must be rage than I would ever be able to demonstrate in the same situation.

"I don't care, it's fucking hilarious!" another proclaims later on. "You're lucky there's not a fucking vibrator in your ear, like in England, where it happens all the time." OMG, yeah, so super lucky! You're right, she should totally lighten up about being constantly harassed at work by random dicks who think a year and a half old internet meme is hysterical.

That second guy was later identified as Shawn Simoes, who in addition to looking like Fredo from the Godfather, also works at a company called Hydro One...or should I say worked. You see, Hydro One has this little thing called a Code of Conduct, which maintains that Simoes must conduct himself in a manner befitting the company's values, even when he's not at work. I am pleased to report that Hydro One did not share Simoes assessment of #FHRITP as "fucking hilarious" and they fired him from his six-figure job. I wonder if he still doesn't care.

Including Simoes, one of the other men has been identified. They, and the other men upon identification, have been banned from all future Maple Leaf Sports Entertainment events.

The local police were also all over it:

So as distasteful and unfortunate as the initial incident was, I am delighted by the swift and serious response from so many parties who had the power to do something, especially Hunt. Most of the time, this sort of thing would wind up on the cutting room floor, most people don't know it's going on, and the reporters who deal with it continue to suffer in silence. Thanks to Shauna, we can all speak out against it.

While we should never stop striving for increased understanding and respect in the fight for equality, I truly believe that victory will not come by winning over the hearts and minds of the malicious and ignorant, but by shaming them into realizing that their boorish and discriminatory attitudes have no place in civilized society, that their ideas and entitlement are on their way out; We're not going to take it anymore and that they either have to change with the times or shut their mouths and stew quietly to themselves. Eventually, their voices will be lost and progress can...progress. Until that lovely day, we need heroes like Hunt, who are willing to shine a light on their corrosive behavior to rally us together against this bullshittery.

Check Hunt's full takedown below.

Image: YouTube