Michelle Mackey, a reporter from CityNews Toronto, Canada, was stunned after hearing a disturbing comment from a 9-year-old boy while presenting the live program.
She posted a clip of the scene on her TikTok profile, where it has already accumulated over 3 million views. In the video, she can be seen speaking to the camera when she hears a boy shout something at her.
The boy’s words were censored, but it’s clear that they were low-level swear words. He reportedly said a phrase that had become a trend a few years ago, where men shouted this phrase at reporters during live broadcasts.
In the caption of the clip, Mackey said she was particularly shocked to realize that the boy was standing next to his father, who did nothing to reprimand him. “This was one of the most alarming things I’ve ever witnessed as a reporter.”
“What appeared to be an 8 or 9-year-old boy shouted this at me, WITH HIS FATHER BY HIS SIDE. They laughed and walked away. Out of respect for the child, I’m blurring their faces. Whether it’s shouted at a man or a woman, this perpetuates and normalizes misogyny. I thought this horrible trend was over.”
In a conversation with TODAY, she described the phrase used by the boy as “violating,” but she doesn’t blame the boy for what he said and said the blame lies with the adult “for not saying anything.”
@michellemackeytiktok This was one of the most alarming things I’ve ever witnessed as a news reporter. What looked to be an 8 or 9-year-old boy yelled this at me, WITH HIS FATHER BY HIS SIDE. They proceeded to laugh and walk away. Out of respect for the child, I’m blurring their faces. Whether this is yelled at a man or woman, it perpetuates and normalizes misogyny. I thought this horrible trend was over.♬ original sound – Michelle Mackey
Photo and video: TikTok @michellemackeytiktok. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
