‘That is actually assault’: Popular TikToker accused of sexually assaulting Walmart worker in viral video
In a TikTok video posted on Aug. 19, which has garnered over 2.6 million likes thus far, TikToker @swagboyq inserts a pole in between a Walmart employee's legs while she is bending down.
She immediately stands up, surprised, and says "you sticked it up my ass, dude." He apologizes.
Although @swagboyq captioned the video with the hashtag "prank," comments on the video call his actions sexual assault.
"That ain't no prank," wrote @thecuddler15 in a comment that has almost 100k likes. "That's a case."
"That is actually assault," wrote @toothbrushlord.
Other commenters doubled down on condemning @swagboyq, even if the video was staged or the woman was aware of the prank ahead of time.
"It doesn't matter if it's staged or not," wrote @dudeloveme22. "It's the message it sends out."
@thebrinalee, a TikToker who frequently speaks on sexual assault on her account, posted a TikTok about @swagboyq's pranks on August 27.
"That's a video with 26 million views of a verified creator with 18.8 million followers sexually assaulting somebody," says @thebrinalee. "I think that pretty much proves my point about rape culture on TikTok.
@thebrinalee also commented on the video, saying that "even if the woman is in on it [that] doesn't make it okay. Rape culture normalizes sexual assault so it's taken less seriously. It's not a prank."
Rape culture, as defined by Vox's Amanda Taub, is a culture that treats sexual violence as normal and blames victims for being assaulted.
In a follow up video, @thebrinalee defines it as "any social environment that trivializes or minimizes sexual assault and abuse." She goes on to categorize TikTok as a "global social environment," where sexual assault, as shown in @swagboyq's video, is presented as a "prank."
"And that's rape culture," @thebrinalee says.
On August 28, @swagboyq posted another video showing a similar "prank" on a different woman, again bending down in a Walmart aisle.
In this video, @swagboyq touches the woman with a pole twice, which she reacts to. She then continuously apologizes to him, and seems to look at the camera.
@swagboyq did not immediately respond to the Daily Dot's request for comment via email. @thebrinalee did not immediately respond to the Daily Dot's request for comment via TikTok comment. The Daily Dot has reached out to Walmart.
If you are a victim of sexual assault or want more information on sexual assault, contact the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
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