Canadian reporter harassed 9-year-old boy during live segment, calls out ‘normalised misogyny’ | Trending

A Canadian television journal has spoken out after a durbing incident during a live segment outside Toronto’s Rogers Centre. Michelle Mackey, a reporter with CityNews Toronto, was recording when a young boy and an older man walked past and shouted a sexually explicit remark, reported the New York Post. The vulgar phrase was once part of a viral meme that became popular in 2014;(Instagram/@mich_mack) “F–k her right in the p—y,” the boy yelled, referencing an old internet meme. The man accompanying him responded laughing, while Mackey’s expression quickly shifted from professional to visibly durbed. The vulgar phrase was once part of a viral meme that became popular in 2014, often used internet trolls to interrupt female reporters on air. It originated from videos created filmmaker John Cain and has since been widely condemned for promoting harassment. Also read: 50-year-old woman arrested for confiscating daughters’ iPads, lodged in cell for more than seven hours Mackey later shared the video online, blurring the faces of the child and the man. “This was one of the most alarming things I’ve witnessed as a news reporter. What looked to be an 8 or 9-year-old boy yelled this at me, WITH HIS FATHER HIS SIDE. They proceeded to laugh and walk away,” she wrote. The video has since garnered over 3.3 million views. She added, “Out of respect for the child, I’m blurring their faces. Whether this is yelled at a man or woman, it perpetuates and normalises misogyny. I thought this horrible trend was over.” Speaking to NBC’s TODAY, Mackey said she was deeply durbed the incident. “I waved them back … I just wanted to be able to look that father and kid in the eye and say, ‘Can you say that again to me, looking me in the eye as a human being?’” “But they wouldn’t come back. They just laughed and gave me a thumbs up and kept on walking.” She expressed concern over the boy’s young age and criticised the adult for encouraging the behaviour instead of correcting it. Calling the phrase “violating,” Mackey said, “You probably are coming at this from a place of humour, and you probably think this is funny and not harmful, but I just hope you can consider the words that came out of your mouth … And really think about what those words mean. And just ask yourself … would you look in the eye of someone you love and say that to them.” Incident sparks backlashThe incident sparked widespread debate online. Some defended the child’s actions as a joke, while others condemned it as harmful. “FHRITP in 2025 is crazy,” one user commented. Another wrote, “Why is everyone so mad does no one remember the original?” However, others called out the behaviour. “Ah misogyny, still teaching our children it’s OK to be violent towards women. I’m so sorry this happened to you,” one user posted. “This is literally what Adolescence is about and men in the comments still aren’t getting it,” another said. One person described it as a “classic meme” and suggested the reporter should “get with the times.” Also read: ‘Everything is expensive in Bengaluru’: Viral Reddit rant ignites cost-of-living debate