Image: Eva Rinaldi (CC 2.0)
Nova FM radio hosts, Fitzy and Wippa, have faced public backlash over a prank they played on Sunrise presenter Samantha Armytage during their breakfast show last Friday.
For those who missed it, Armytage, a guest on the show, was told to enter a dark confined space called the panic room where she had to feel around and guess what was inside. Blindly and hesitantly, Armytage stretched out her hands and came in contact with what she correctly guessed was a naked man. When the lights turned on revealing Fitzy in the nude, Armytage ran out of the room squealing “my eyes are burning… go and put some clothes on”.
Armytage may have laughed the whole thing off, but the prank doesn’t sit well with me. What exactly are we laughing at here? Is it funny to make people feel uncomfortable?
Regardless of how Armytage reacted, many women in these situations feel humiliated, and their humiliation is not a joke but a cause for concern. The public has voiced its disgust via social media, labelling the prank as sexual harassment. A fair call since sexual harassment is any unwanted sexual behaviour, including indecent exposure, which makes a person feel offended, humiliated or intimidated.
So disappointed by this prank by @nova969 on Sam Armytage. If this isn’t sexual harassment I don’t know what is http://t.co/9nRzlb94sb
— Jessica Ivers (@jivebong) May 16, 2014
Clementine Ford suggests in a recent article that Armytage, a media personality in the public eye, should have set an example by reacting more strongly to the prank and complaining to Nova’s management.
“These are not light-hearted pranks but part of the cultural understanding that gives men licence to treat women as they please if it can be passed off as a joke.”
Instead, Armytage enforces the mentality that women should brush aside such incidences rather than stand up for themselves.
OMG. After 12 yrs in radio, I can tell you @clementine_ford nails it. Laughter doesn’t imply acceptance. http://t.co/T6u5s9Zb8K
— Jo Stanley (@RealJoStanley) May 19, 2014
@RealJoStanley I really do think more of the public are standing up against this stuff now though. Gives me hope. Or maybe I’m just naive!
— Clementine Ford (@clementine_ford) May 19, 2014
What is most troubling is how the station gave the prank the go ahead, oblivious to its inappropriateness and its potentially negative reception. In response to public outrage, Nova FM has removed the controversial footage from its website and YouTube. As for the duo in question, they have since apologised.
Apology accepted @fitzyandwippa .. Fitzy please keep your gear on in the future, esp in this cold weather….xx pic.twitter.com/TsHqVIfMwF
— Samantha Armytage (@sam_armytage) May 16, 2014
Fortunately for the station, it only has to deal with minor ramifications such as disgruntled listeners – nothing compared to underage rape victims and suicide as in previous radio pranks gone wrong. Unfortunately for the rest of us, the prank only encourages indecent behaviour, passing it off as funny rather than stamping it out from society.
Come on Fitzy and Wippa, you’re better than that.
Here’s proof…
[poll id=”49″]
*This piece has been taken from my blog
