WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - The Social Skinny: NYC Women Punched Take to Tik Tok

Episode Date: April 15, 2024

The streets in New York City have gotten more dangerous. SK and Kamden talk about how women are being randomly assaulted in NYC and react to influencer Halley Kate's experience she shared via a string of TikTok videos. The viral videos bring awareness to the repeated incidents and call into question the culture in the city. Also, the girls discuss Brooklyn McKnight and her trip to hike to Everest Best Camp. 

You are listening to The Social Skinny on Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM. I am Camden here with SK. And this week, we are going to be talking about a crazy phenomenon happening in New York City. Girls are getting punched on the street. It's happened to multiple different people. And it's been really scary. And a lot of these women have taken to social media to share their experience. And so we are going to unpack all of that today.

So, yeah, there's been. dozens and dozens of these videos recently that have been going viral of women all over the city getting approached from behind and punched in the face. Sometimes they're being punched more in the side of the head or in the shoulder and that's usually because they're trying to anticipate the punch and so they're moving out of the way. Most recently in the last 24 hours we've been seeing news about a nine-year-old girl that was punched repeatedly in a subway station and that's definitely the youngest one that I've seen so far, not that any of these are excusable, but to do that to a child, you know, a man to hit a woman in general is deplorable.

Deplorable. I mean, yes, it's illegal. It's deplorable due to the, like, difference in power and physical stature, but then a man to do that to a child and at that a female child is like a crime against his nature, in my opinion. I agree. And correct me if I'm wrong, but with the recent attack on the nine-year-old girl, the suspect in that incident didn't he also punch a 54-year-old woman in the same train station, Grand Central Station, correct? Yeah, so that's been a big, a big part of this story as well, is that because so many women have been punched and it's been happening so frequently in the past couple of weeks, people think that this is possibly a repeat offender or that it's sort of becoming a trend. And I guess, in my opinion, that's kind of one of the

scariest parts about the social media influence on this case is so frequently and so rapidly so many women are taking to the internet to share their story and I guess for the sake of you know precaution and watching out that's important but I always you know think about copycats and how crazy that and just like the notoriety that these people are getting for punching women in the face is well it's so odd in general just you know that people to come a crime like that where unprovoked out of nowhere you're going up to a stranger and physically assaulting them is so strange um and the fact that it's happening to different women of different age groups and there's been confirmed like different men that are doing it maybe some of them are repeat

offenders like you said but there's a lot of different people doing it's not like one guy who's like a serial puncher so that makes me wonder if in some sense there isn't some sort of cooperation or sort of like is that there's some sort of like bigger plan where people who are sort of conspiring to make this happen. Although I don't know to what end that would be. Right. It's not really apparent. But it feels

too weird. Yeah. To just happen all by itself, you know? It's not a typical crime you'd hear about in New York City. Even though there's plenty of violent crimes that are committed there, I think, to hear about women getting punched

in broad daylight as they're walking down the street, it's, in my opinion, insights like a new sort of eerie feeling that the city's never had before. Yeah, I mean, recently New York obviously has been struggling with their crime rates, although I guess some people say that they've gone down since last year. I think whatever category this falls into, I don't know if it's something like misdemeanor assault, but that has gone up 15% in the last two years. And like you said that it's, well, it's okay, it's a misdemeanor instead of some other, you know, worse crimes that fall into the category of felony.

But because it's unprovoked, it's a different kind of. Yeah, it's definitely a different sensibility. Other things, it's like you think you can prevent certain crimes from happening or at least affecting you based on your choosing where you go, what times you go, the way you interact with other people, but this is so random. it's really, I mean, I say it more with like a lowercase tea than anything, but it's really terrorism because that's what it's like to create terror and to create a feeling of uncertainty and it's random and it's supposed to make one general population feel very scared for their

well-being. So it's, in my opinion, a lowercase T act of terrorism in New York. Right. And I think it's crazy too that, of course, as you said, it potentially fits under this umbrella of misdemeanor. But the guy who punched the nine-year-old girl, the first time he punched the 54-year-old woman, he just was $2,500 in bail. That just doesn't seem like a just punishment or adjust, I guess I'm at a loss words for it, but like a just amount of money needed to earn back his freedom. Yeah, like rectify what he did. It's too easy.

It does not disincentivize punching women in the face. Yeah, exactly. And I mean, New York struggles with that in general. They are basically decriminalizing crime, which is a problem, obviously. But yeah, it's, yeah. So it's like these guys, you know, when they, it's not even guaranteed that they spend a night in jail. So the stakes are super low. Why wouldn't you?

And when you have nothing to lose already. It is, yeah, it's interesting, though. I don't know what's causing it. It makes me very angry. I don't know how it makes you feel like as a woman. Yeah. very angry. I mean, I want to know what's in the water over there in New York to incite. Like, it's, as we've been saying, there's always issues of crime over there, but this

feels like a new level of craziness. Yeah, absolutely. I also wonder, too, like what these bystanders are doing. It makes you realize that, like, in certain scenarios like that, as we've seen before in cases of terrorism or other, you know, even like, or acts in history that are more due to like an abuse of power, but you realize how much of this is enabled based on people not choosing to like stand up for somebody, you know what I mean? And I get it because it's like it's a huge city, right? And it's like if you're with your family or you're with, you know, you've got a family that you want to like protect yourself for, you don't know the context. So honestly, it's like in a place that big, you don't know if the person, not that anybody

should be punched, but you don't know the story between the person being punched and the person no attack. Granted, from the pictures I've seen, I think I would be able to derive that, like, they had no relation because usually these men that are attacking the women, they look like deadbeats, you know, and so the women don't look that way. And so I would never think, oh, maybe that's an ex-boyfriend or something. Like, to me, that would never be my, but you realize, like, that's what happens, you know, you talk about people, how much crime's been happening on the subways or people just, you know, these drug addicts or crazy people attacking and harassing people. And it's like, well, no, what would still?

thought that is if people actually like stood up for people when they like see someone, you know, doing something to them. And then also obviously there's issues with, you know, actually being retained in some sort of criminal justice system and not just walking right back out. Wasn't there a man on the subway who was killed because he intervened? Oh, yeah.

Yeah. And I completely agree with your point. I don't bring that up as opposition. I just, in theory, it does sound so great to think, yeah, we all should, you know, as Americans and as people like living in a community together, stand up for, you know, those who are being attacked or hurt or mistreated, things like that, especially when it's women being attacked. Again, as, as women, I know, we both would hope that, like, someone would help us, but it's crazy when there's those fluke situations, like, is that going to be me? Right. You know? That's what I said.

Like, I get it. It's like if you have a wife and kids. the same time, I get that that's a risk, but it's like, okay, well, if we are a country now, and there's no men left that are willing to, like, you know, face that kind of danger for something greater than themselves. And it's like, yeah, we have no hope. Because that's, that's how you combat terrorism. It's like, it's playing chicken with them. It's going toe to toe with them. It's showing them that, like, hey, I believe so strongly that what you're doing is wrong that I actually am willing to die for it. And no matter what you do or no matter how badly you try to terrorize me,

that's not going to change the way I feel. and it's not going to change the way I react. Exactly. You are listening to the Social Skinny here on Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM. So Hallie Reed, she's a very traditional style influencer that a lot of us know today. She does, you know, fashion content. She lives in New York City. She's young, early 20s.

She was one of the people that was actually punched. And I would say at least from my person. perspective of the whole story and the whole situation. She brought a lot of notoriety to the situation. I think she has 1.2 million followers on TikTok. And the poor girl got punched. Basically, seconds after getting punched, she whips out her phone, starts filming a TikTok. You can see the huge, like, goose egg, like lump forming on her head from where she was punched. We're going to play the video, but I highly recommend also looking it up so you can see her face. But she, She went through this and I think it's really just interesting to hear, you know, moments after it happens to her, her reaction and what was going through her head.

Yeah, absolutely. You guys, I was literally just walking and a man came up and watched me in the face. Oh, my God. It hurts so back. I can't even talk. Literally, I fell to the ground and now this giant is forming and I'm like, oh my God. It looks so frozen. I know she also posted some videos later after that, sort of giving more context and explaining the follow-up with, you know, everything like that. So definitely go check those out. Did you get to see any of those?

I did. Yeah. Basically, a lot of it, you know, reacting to what people were commenting, sort of updating everyone on getting in touch with the cops and trying to figure out that whole situation. I think the most striking thing, in my opinion, about the follow-up videos was, and this is definitely a character. a little bit, unfortunately, of our generation. But people really had to prompt her on what to do to make sure that she, like, got justice in the situation. They're like, Hally, get a hold of the cops, like have them come to your apartment. So you can try to ID someone. Like, you need to do this. Make sure that you get checked out to see if you have a concussion. And she is definitely a smart girl. I'm not saying that she isn't, but I think her reaction, like, immediately after the fact, to jump up after being knocked to the ground, which is horrifying and whip out her phone and start filming a video is just so, for lack of a better word, just so Gen Z. Right. I mean, at least she

documented it, though. Right. Right. No, it definitely is. And I think, yeah, kudos to her for that. and she was able to raise awareness for what happened. But also, I just, I can't imagine being in that situation and, you know, even being able to do anything. I feel like I would just like lay there in the street, which is not a good reaction either. But not the shit of bad reaction. That wasn't my point. Yeah, I guess that's when you figure out if you're a, what your response mechanism is. Right.

fight or flight or fawn or posture or whatever but yeah i mean i think that's part of the issue too is that in order to get justice there's so much work that then she has to go do and chase down somebody to even care that's part of what you know and not maybe not incentivizes but at least disincentivizes or lessens the blow of like punishment or like even the threat of possibly facing some sort of legal repercussion is that it's like unless somebody really cares to go, you know, do all of the things, follow up with all the people, do all the forms, you know, repeat the same story, same information, especially with a lot of those systems can be super bureaucratic and frustrating, especially when you're dealing with a situation like that that is, you know,

traumatizing. A lot of people I think would just get too frustrated and it's almost like not worth it. Yeah, 100%. especially when it's like, you know, it is New York City. And unless you have a really great security camera that happened to get like a of his face or whatever, then it's like, what are you going to do? Yeah. And I think going back to your point earlier about bystanders and maybe she addressed this and I just missed it or maybe she never addressed it and obviously she still could

have had people help her. But I think it's so interesting and it goes so well with what you were saying. saying that her first instinct was to fit like did anyone help her up were people there like i'm really curious what the in-between was from getting punch and then picking up her phone and filming a video yeah and i don't know i don't i never saw her address that i never saw anyone ask she could have and i just missed it social media is such a hole there's so much but right as you said too. I think it's part of the generational thing. Not that I've ever been punched in the face like that, but I think about a lot of times, not necessarily if something traumatizing happens,

but even if just something big happens or like scary or exciting or unexpected, my instinct, like, you know, aside from like texting or calling someone, a lot of times my instinct too would be like to get on Snapchat and to like send a video of myself talking to like my friends or family. And so maybe for her, since she's used to sharing so much of her life on the internet, that feels like almost the same instinctual reaction. Yeah, yeah. I don't know. No, that's so valid.

And I think a lot of those influencers say to you that their followers end up feeling like family. Right. Or their friends or things like that. As you said, after they share intimate parts of their lives with them. So it probably wasn't a way therapeutic for her to get on the internet and talk about it. Yeah. And then continue to talk about it. Keep filming videos for at least the next couple of days, which was interesting to watch as a viewer, not obviously,

interesting in a good way, but I think it really shed light on the situation. And then the more other people started also having the same experience, it all really started to accumulate on the internet. Right. I probably, and I didn't follow any of it super closely, but I probably saw at least four, five, six separate girls who said they were punched in filmed videos. And they had obvious physical harm done to them all to like their heads or faces things like that so it's it's just insane mm-hmm you are listening to the social skinny here on radio free hillsdale 101.7 FM on a little bit of a lighter note because I know that's a really heavy topic I recently as I've mentioned probably too many times since I deleted TikTok for lent I have yeah

to redownload it. I'm kind of seeing how long I can go at this point. Yeah, good for you. Thanks. But since then, I've become somewhat addicted to Snap Stories. And I don't even know how you subscribe to celebrities on there. They just like Snapchat, I guess, has an algorithm. It puts stuff on my phone and I like just watch it all. And so since then I've rediscovered Brooklyn and Bailey, obviously we're all raised on them, the OGs. You know, they were beauty YouTubers and lifestyle YouTubers. But I have loved getting to watch their Snap stories because you you kind of get to see. It's like TikTok because it's more intimate,

but it's like their lives with their husbands and everything. And they've done a bunch of new like launches and stuff recently, like clothing wise and, et cetera. But Brooklyn is climbing my Mount Everest right now. And literally crazy. It's been my Roman Empire. It's all I've been talking about at home with Camden.

But she and Dakota and I believe Camry and their mom, Mindy, and I think some aunts and uncles and people, are all climbing to the base camp and it's been really cool like just stuff that you don't really know about like I didn't realize how many people either get food poisoning what from what they eat at all those tea houses which is the places they stop in between oh interesting like Dakota had food poisoning which would be horrible oh gracious or people getting altitude sickness as they're hiking yeah yeah which I also never really occurred to me it just I mean I don't know why that's kind of obvious but like you're really high up yeah but I don't know it's just been super cool and I like that Bailey has been getting to like She'll get pictures from them and, like, post updates, which is fun. And then you see her, like, doing her whole thing at home. Yeah. And I like, she doesn't even pretend to want to go. I was going to say, did she say why she didn't?

Just not her thing. So valid. And people, that's what people have been loving is they're like, oh, I love that as you all have gotten older, we're like really getting to see y'all's personality. And so I like that versus it being like Brooklyn and I'm like, I don't know, having to be themselves a little bit. Yeah. So aren't they neighbors too?

Yeah. Yeah. That's fun. This is kind of a question you might not. the answer to do you know what the altitude is at base camp have they said that in any of the videos i'm sure they have i don't oh it's okay i was just curious yeah i definitely haven't i know that i don't know about base camp but i know where they're hiking today at least from what i saw was like there's clouds that's crazy yeah i think that's at least 10 000 yeah yeah no yeah it's definitely um

another thing that i also didn't realize until this recent sort of escapade they've been going on but a lot of times is people so the tea houses are where they'll stop to like eat or sometimes sleep a lot in between days of hiking and so they're only going to base camp not that's still not amazing but it's not like they're summiting but people who summit again didn't realize this and this is so like funny to me

but a lot of times they will take these helicopters from where they're hiking to back down to go eat at a tea house and then they'll fly them back up it's like I mean it's not cheating because you're hiking or whatever but like it feels like cheating that's so funny and I didn't realize that and not that I still obviously I would have to train an insane amount but for some reason that made me feel like oh okay like maybe I could do that that you know what I mean because it's not like you're in a summit Mount Everest you're not like up there like doing everything by yourself right like building a fire and right that's so valid oh my goodness I had not a clue

honestly I know nothing about hiking Mount Everest I've just heard, obviously, unfortunately, lots of people have died doing it. But maybe I'll have to tune in to Brooklyn and Bailey now that you've been saying it's so fun to watch. Literally, after seeing them do it, it's like definitely on my bucket list at some point before I die. But yeah, I don't know. It's interesting. It just feels like literally being flown back down to go eat. It just is so modern man of us and so American of us to like have these simulated really difficult outdoor experiences, which not that's bad.

like I guess some difficulty is better than no difficulty, but it's just, I don't know, it's hilarious. Yeah. I love that a lot of the family is going. I didn't realize, I mean, we've talked with this a few times, but I didn't realize that like Mindy and Camry and a bunch of them went until you just said it. And I just think that's super cool because their family is its own brand, obviously, in itself. Like Mindy is the hair care and stuff like that.

And so I love that it's sort of not only delineating between Brooklyn and Bailey, as you said, but also delineating between the entire McNight family. And their personality. Yeah. Because they're all so on the internet, which is fun for them. But it's a really cool experience. Well, it started because it was on, I think, Mindy's bucket list before she turned 50 she wanted to. And she's supposed to turn 50 this year.

Gotcha. Okay. So they're like, now's the time. Seriously. Thank you guys so much for listening. This has been The Social Skinny on Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM. You know,