Reporter’s response to young boy yelling sexually explicit profanity at her on air is applauded

Canadian reporter Michelle Mackey, 34, was recording a positive news segment when a young boy walking by yelled a sexually explicit phrase at her… and her response to the uncomfortable moment has been fiercely applauded online.

The interaction was caught on camera as Michelle, a CityNews Toronto anchor, spoke outside Toronto’s Rogers Centre.

She shared the video on TikTok on April 7 and it has since gone viral, gaining more than 3.3 million views and over 267,500 likes.

In the video, Michelle stood outside the stadium talking into her microphone about the energy around her.

But as she spoke, a voice suddenly shouted a profanity at her from off-camera; it came from a young boy who was walking by with a man who appeared to be his father.

While Michelle covered their faces in the video to protect their identities and censored the explicit comment that the boy made, it appears that he yelled, ‘F**k her right in the p***y,’ a popular internet meme from the early 2010s.

After finishing her sentence, the reporter went silent and stared at the pair with a fierce look on her face for a couple seconds. 

‘This was one of the most alarming things I’ve witnessed as a news reporter,’ Michelle wrote in the caption of her viral video. 

‘What looked to be an eight or nine-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,’ she continued. ‘I thought this horrible trend was over.’

While speaking to Today about the shocking interaction, Michelle said she recognized the phrase as something that once was a popular meme on the internet.

It became popular in 2014 after a video of a reporter saying it while he thought he was off the air went viral. 

For months afterwards, a trend emerged that saw people yelling the explicit comment at female reporters during live broadcasts. 

The phrase even cost a man his job after he was recorded saying it on camera to another CityNews reporter.

‘I haven’t heard [the phrase] in a really long time. I’ve heard it before, but it’s been years, and I was shocked to hear it again,’ Michelle explained.

‘When I looked over and saw [that the boy] said it, I was beyond disturbed.

‘It looked to be an eight or nine-year-old boy, and he was either with his dad or grandfather, and the two of them were just giggling. They were just laughing. They thought it was hilarious.’

Michelle said after the shock wore off, she tried to call the boy over to have a conversation.

‘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 added: ‘It’s a very violating phrase, and you do feel violated in a way. And I was so angry after the shock kind of wore off.’

The reporter said despite the experience, she received comfort and support from everyone at CityNews Toronto.

‘My newsroom is like a family, and they have all rallied around me,’ she gushed. 

‘I felt like it was important to take the risk and just share this and say, “This is happening. Let’s nip it in the bud,” you know? Like, let’s stop it now.’

Though the young boy was the one to speak the words, Michelle said she ‘doesn’t fault the kid.’

‘He’s so young. I really do fault the adult in this situation for not saying something,’ she explained.

Michelle isn’t holding a grudge about the experience, but, instead, shared a message for the adult who was with the boy in case he comes across their story.

‘You probably are coming at this from a place of humor, 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,’ she detailed.

‘And just ask yourself… would you look in the eye of someone you love and say that to them?’

In the comment section of her video, many people defended Michelle and praised her for the way she handled herself in the moment.

‘That look you gave them ATE,’ one user replied to her video.

‘It was the perfect judgmental “Really?” face that would make any mom proud,’ someone else agreed.

‘Speaking to women like that is insane,’ a different person mused. 

‘It’s not funny. Teach your kids better, and you wonder why this generation of kids has no respect or boundaries,’ another wrote.

‘It’s vile,’ read a fifth comment, while a sixth said, ‘He should be ashamed but it’s doubtful.’