Out of the park

There are times when I deliberately avoid discussing a hot topic because I just can’t be bothered, or the topic doesn’t bother me enough or I just don’t want to open a can of worms. In the past week I have been bothered by a news story and it is, most certainly, a can of worms. FHRITP? Seriously? This is a thing? What the H E double bait tins is this all about?

Well, for those of you who don’t know— and there might be one or two of you who get all the news you need from the weather report—there is a disgusting trend showing up on television and computer screens around the world: People waiting in the wings to shout “FHRITP” into a microphone during an on-site newscast. This all started with a young (but old enough to know better) television news reporter who didn’t know he was on the air. That was his excuse for the inexcusable. John Cain was waiting to give a live report on a missing, 20-yearold woman. When asked by his producer what he would do if he found the missing woman alive he replied, “I’d FHRITP.” Now show me a parent who would be proud of their child saying something like that—on air or not—I ask you.

According to the online Urban Dictionary FHRITP might be one of the “most revolutionary and iconic phrases of the twentyfirst century.” Oh my goodness. Is that all we managed to score during this century? Perhaps Cain was thinking, “Hey, today I’m going to surprise, disgust and revolutionize the world by being a completely self-centred and entitled arse.” I don’t believe a whole lot of thought went into what Cain got caught saying that day. When I watched the powder keg video, I was mesmerized by his pathetic sense of entitlement, his bravado and his pithy interpretation of machismo. Cain was fired, and the station was left to sweep up after him. Cain should have gone home and hung his head in shame. He did not. He continues with a website, a blog site, a Twitter account, a Facebook page and has uploaded numerous YouTube videos, all dedicated to FHRITP. His aggressive social media presentations seem to have a huge following of like-minded-men.

And then? Well, and then a Canadian news reporter’s on-location broadcast was hijacked by a man who thought (well, he probably didn’t think at all) his verbal attack was just a bit of fun. Shauna Hunt didn’t deserve to be verbally assaulted. She hadn’t done anything to Shawn Simoes to provoke him. Simoes hadn’t been cornered, harried or slighted. But, like many predators, Simoes couldn’t grasp the stupidity, the gravity and the hostility of his attack. Until? Well, until the CityTV video went viral and Simoes was recognized by friends, family and his employer. And then? And then his employer fired him. His employer was Hydro One. Like many employers, Hydro One has a code of conduct, to which all of their employers and contractors agree. Do I think Simoes was exercising his right to free speech? No, I don’t. This isn’t a issue of Simoes’ rights being violated. It is, however, a violation of Shauna Hunt’s right to a harassment-free workplace. Like I said, Simoes probably wasn’t thinking. He was pumped by his own sense of worth, egged on by his like-minded friends, and he attacked.

Do I think this so-called FHRITP revolution is going to go away because a big employer stepped up to the plate and punted Simoes out of their park? Nope. People like Simoes and Cain have a huge sense of entitlement. They truly believe they lead a charmed existence and nothing they do or say could possibly be offside. These are people who think they are deserving of special privileges and treatment. Well, Simoes got special treatment. I’ll just bet his family is proud of him!

theresa@wellingtontimes.ca