The now viral take-down and firing of an Ontario Hydro One employee who was among a group of men linked to the “F— her in the p—y” incident in Toronto on Sunday has introduced many Canadians to the offensive trend.
But it’s not news to many CBC reporters.
CBC reporter Meghan Grant was targeted by an individual in the truck pictured above. (CBC)
In Calgary, two men screamed the words at reporter Meghan Grant last month while she was covering a story about efforts being made to discourage harassment along 17th Avenue during and after NHL games.
The irony was not lost on Grant — and she’s not alone.
On her first day on the job, CBC Edmonton intern Zoe Todd was mid-way through an interview with a young man when “he pulled an FHRITP and quite literally ran away.”
“The situation was so absurd that it didn’t bother me at first — for the most part, I felt confused and a little frustrated,” Todd said. “It bothered me more afterwards, but I realize it was just a disrespectful way of seeking attention and not a personal attack.”
Laura Osman and Boris Proulx, both reporters in Edmonton, have had strangers scream “F— her in the p—y” at them while out on the job.
“Usually someone shouts it out their window as they drive by,” Osman said. “It’s upsetting, especially when I’m in the middle of an interview. It’s disruptive, disrespectful, and degrading.”
Scott Stevenson was recording a stand-up in Edmonton’s Churchill Square when a teen walked behind and yelled it out.
“I just said, ‘sorry to disappoint you, but we’re not even live right now,'” Stevenson said. “I asked if he couldn’t think of anything funnier to say.” The teen, he said, turned red and quickly left.
Likewise, reporter James Hees was doing an interview when a man walked by and inserted his face between James and his camera, and said “F— her right in the p—y,” sending Hee’s interview subject into a fit of laughter.
CBC videojournalist Travis McEwan had it happen to him four separate times in one night while he covered the Edmonton Crashed Ice finals.
The list goes on. In the time it took me to write this, three other colleagues (not included here) reached out to tell me their own stories.
Other CBC reporters across the country have also spoken out:
It started with a hoax
The meme got its start in January 2014 when John Cain, an American online prankster, began uploading videos to YouTube.
In one, he poses as a FOX News reporter, editing the video so that is appears he mistakenly says “I’d F— her right in the p—y” while doing a live hit from the field.
Cain himself admitted to the prank in a 2014 interview with CBC Montreal.
He said he made the videos to be “funny but shocking at the same time.” In an email, Cain said he “did not know it would blow up this big.”
“Male and female reporters have both encountered being interrupted during a live broadcast so it’s not just women. It is not an attack on women in any way.
“In fact, I love women and I would FHRITP all of them if they wanted.”
What’s the solution?
Shawn Simoes, the Hydro One engineer who was fired after the CityNews clip went viral, is just the latest example of employers firing workers for their conduct outside of work.
On Wednesday morning, CBC Radio put the following question to Albertans: What should be done to discourage vulgar and harassing behaviour like the FHRITP movement?
Nothing and calm down everybody. RT @MarkConnollyCBC What should the consequences be for #FHRITP and how can we stop it?
— @FACLC
Some debated the effectiveness of public shaming:
@MarkConnollyCBC Obviously childish, but not sure loss of employment is justified. Public shaming might help bring it to an end.
— @trifattytri
@MarkConnollyCBC Naming and shaming as punishment is no better than burning people in the public square. It too has to stop. Respect pls
— @mckernangirl
Others recommended action:
@carillonjane @MarkConnollyCBC Takes other guys to step in and say “that’s not cool”. That’s how it gets stopped.
— @marnipanas
@MarkConnollyCBC how about having obscene hecklers follow him around at his job for a while?
— @kendp
A tweet by Edmonton Journal reporter Ryan Cormier seems to have struck a nerve, and has been re-tweeted nearly 600 times:
Step 1: Wait quietly until female journalist finishes live report. Step 2: Yell “Respect and equality for women!” Step 3: Remain employed.
— @el_cormier
