A viral photo of a man in a business suit humping the ‘Fearless Girl’ statue is the very reason we need an International Women’s Day.
Alexis Kaloyanides posted the photo on Facebook after witnessing the “Wall Street finance broseph” hump the statue of the little girl.
“Almost as if out of central casting, some Wall Street finance broseph appeared and started humping the statue while his gross date rape-y friends laughed and cheered him on,” she wrote.
“He pretended to have sex with the image of a little girl. Douchebags like this are why we need feminism.”
Kaloyanides told Inside Edition that there were about 15 to 20 people admiring the statue at the time.
“We started talking about the statue, a little girl about 5 or 6 years old proudly posed with the statue for a picture, it was just a nice moment. These three young men came along, and at first they were hanging off the bull… and then this one guy rushed up and started grinding against the statue of the girl, being lewd and totally inappropriate.”
His actions shocked the crowd but he just laughed and walked off with his friends.
A Rare And Extremely Special International Women’s Day Edition on Mamamia Out Loud.
“He was gone within 20 seconds, but it just ruined the mood of the scene,” Kaloyanides said. “There were people there talking about empowering children and women and for then to have this 20-something showing his entitlement, defiling the statute… it was utterly revolting.”
Kaloyanides has stood by the decision to share the image online, saying the man’s behavior was no laughing matter and shouldn’t be treated as such.
“This is just further perpetuating a mentality of ‘boys will be boys,’ and that ‘it’s okay, it’s a joke, just brush it off,’” she said. “This young man likely has a mother, a sister perhaps, a girlfriend, a wife — who knows? I’m getting tired of making excuses and laughing it off. I for one am not gonna laugh it off anymore.”
The original photo has been shared over 15 000 times on Facebook, with many sharing Kaloyanides’ outrage.
The bronze statue was installed opposite the iconic Wall Street charging bull statue a day before International Women's Day."I wouldn't be surprised if this disgusting pig won Best Actor next year. Absolutely absurd. Can we please focus on the fact that this is a statue of a child? He's gross," one person commented.
"The whole point is that this is emblematic of rape culture. A culture that allows folks to brush this sort of thing off as "boys will be boys." This individual may not be a rapist, but allowing this behavior to happen without censor enables rapists by normalizing predatory behavior and silencing victims," added another.
The bronze statue was installed opposite the iconic Wall Street charging bull statue a day before International Women's Day.
The statue represents gender equality on Wall Street and the firm responsible for the 'Fearless Girl' is calling on their clients to increase the number of women on their corporate boards.
Top Comments
Or we could simply conclude he is one possibly drunk immature dickhead and not a genralised example of men 'endorsing rape culture' and perpetuating a mentality of ‘boys will be boys' while normalizing predatory behavior and silencing victims.
He is quite simply a dickhead in one city and you read all this into it when it all based on the actions of one idiot. I've seen worse behavior from multiple people at the Melbourne Cup, are you suggesting they represent everyone?
Give us all a break and leave the hyperbole and generalisations behind.
But this sort of behaviour is all too common.
So true. Especially on Melbourne Cup Day, Australia Day, New Years Eve, Oktoberfest, Mardis Grad and Moomba to name just a few.
Do you think those few idiot people should be seen as indicative of their race, gender or age or anything else. I don't think so, but this is what the the author is saying.
Sorry, but I think f*ckwits at the Melbourne Cup are just as bad? I'm not really sure the point you are trying to make.
If it's that this behaviour is gross, performed by a small minority of people but still something that most people don't want to put up with then I agree.
He IS a dickhead, and I'm glad you see that this behaviour isn't acceptable.
Words fail me 😔