A New York actress who is the subject of an online video aimed at raising awareness about street harassment of women has now started receiving rape threats, according to Hollaback!, the organization that commissioned the video.
Shoshana B. Roberts volunteered to be filmed walking through the streets of New York to record instances of catcalls and verbal harassment. During the course of 10 hours condensed into a two-minute YouTube video, Roberts is approached by men more than 100 times. Their comments to her include calling her beautiful and telling her to smile and say thank you more. One man followed her for five minutes, and another walked beside her asking why she wouldn’t talk to him.
Since the video was posted Tuesday, it has received almost seven million views and more than 35,000 comments.
Shortly after uploading it, Hollaback! an organization dedicated to ending street harassment of women, tweeted:
"The subject of our PSA is starting to get rape threats on the comments. Can you help by reporting them?”
For more of the story, scroll below the video.
The public service announcement was the brainchild of Rob Bliss, a Washington Times columnist and viral video producer who says he was inspired by his girlfriend’s experience with street harassment. He approached Hollaback! Who, through their partnership, has unlimited usage rights for the video.
To create the video, Bliss walked in front of Roberts for 10 hours with a hidden GoPro camera on his back. Roberts, wearing jeans, a crewneck T-shirt and a backpack, carried a pair of microphones in her hands.
In an interview with Time magazine, Bliss said he had no interaction with any of the men harassing Roberts.
“The whole idea was to be a stone wall and just let everyone else bounce off us,” he said.
In a written statement accompanying the video, Roberts said the video reflects her daily experience walking in New York City.
“I’m harassed when I smile and I’m harassed when I don’t. I’m harassed by white men, black men, latino men. Not a day goes by when I don’t experience this,” she said.
The video points out that it does not include the winks and whistles Roberts received during the 10-hour time frame.
Hollaback! defines street harassment as anything ranging from catcalls, stalking, groping, public masturbation and assault. The organization, which works out of 79 cities in 26 countries, says on its website that the real motive of street harassment is intimidation to make women feel scared or uncomfortable which in turn makes the harasser feel more powerful.
Hollaback! said Roberts’ experience is not unique, and that street harassment disproportionately impacts women of colour and LGBTQ individuals. A free app produced by them records on a map numerous instances of street harassment as reported by victims around the world.
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