A TikTok user slammed ESPN for giving ‘scumbags’ the chance to sexualize them by eating ice cream during the College World Series in Omaha.
During a game between Texas A&M and Tennessee earlier this week, ESPN showed ‘Annie’ and her friend, behind the dugout, eating ice cream to combat the high temperatures in the stadium.
However, things took a vile turn when the clip went viral and a flood of inappropriate comments were made on the video, including comparisons to the now infamous ‘Hawk Tuah’ meme.
“It was a 20-second segment of us just licking our ice cream,” Annie, who recently graduated from college with a degree in history and works as a wedding photographer, says in the video that blasts the internet. “Twenty seconds dedicated, with commentary, to just us eating our ice cream. We all knew what direction that video was going to go.
‘Lo and behold, the TikTok creeps took over because we woke up being compared to the Hawk Tuah girl. No shade for her, girl, do whatever.
TikTok user .anniej4 criticized ESPN for featuring her and her friend eating ice cream during the College World Series broadcast.
Haliey Welch gained virality for an infamous street interview that earned her the nickname ‘Hawk Tuah Girl’.
In an interview with creators Tim & Dee TV, Welch was asked: “What’s the one move in bed that drives a man crazy every time?” Her answer, which sounded like a sexual act, gave rise to the X-rated phrase.
“When I tell you, the comments section of that video is absolutely disgusting,” Annie continued. ‘Knowing that there are people who have families on their profiles and their profile photos just smiling with the children they are raising. Feel bad for them and their dad.’
On her page, Annie posted several compilations to expose men’s horrible comments towards the video.
The video of Annie and her friend drew comparisons to the infamous ‘Hawk Tuah’ girl
Annie posted a five-minute video exposing ‘TikTok chills’ while criticizing ESPN
“I don’t know what you guys think,” wrote user lil_wolf. “But in my opinion, a double feature is better than a single one.”
“That’s hawk-ona-a and hawk-two-a,” wrote user xpressomedic.
User Corey Cadell suggested: ‘What we all want to know is why they’re not in the kitchen! Preparing that delicious ice cream!’
Other comments in a sea of abundance included the phrases “lick and slurp” and one user asked “Do you sell frozen bananas?”
“It’s more than evident that women are not welcome in the world of sports,” Annie continued after citing that she is not one to rant on videos.
He also detailed how he doesn’t feel the need to justify going to a baseball game. Annie shared how she grew up playing softball, her father played baseball and her friend’s brother also played America’s favorite pastime.
“We just wanted to enjoy a baseball game,” he said. ‘And it was 100 degrees, so God forbid we eat some ice cream. It’s like we can’t sit and eat our food in peace.”
Annie also claimed that she had to be careful about eating a hot dog at the game. Being seated next to the dugout, she knew how vulnerable she was to the broadcast cameras and the likelihood of being sexualized for eating.
Users flooded the comments section with vile statements about the clip.
“I had been eating a hot dog for about 10 minutes before that,” he shared.
‘And I made sure to eat it in front of the row of people sitting in front of us. “I was horrified thinking that if just one camera caught that, this was going to happen.”
‘But no, instead we let our guard down for literally five seconds and the ice cream was melting comically fast. “We hadn’t even been in our seats for 15 seconds when they started filming us.”
‘I don’t have the relevance of Taylor Swift at all. But what’s been proven time and time again is that women simply cannot exist in these spaces without something being commented on or called out.’
“Like I’m doing something wrong, trying to avoid heat exhaustion.”
“Within minutes, we saw our faces on the phones of people sitting around us, laughing about it,” Annie revealed. “I can only imagine what those texts said.”
Additionally, Annie commented on how ESPN routinely targets women in sporting events. She also included a comment that said, “No, we need to call ESPN because we know exactly why they did that.”
“What’s funnier than a woman licking ice cream or eating a hot dog or something that can be overly sexualized? But ESPN can keep it pretty vague and the ambiguity is what protects them. When they just open the door for idiots like come in and do whatever you want with it.”
“So maybe we should just do better and not deliberately record videos of women in the crowd at sports games doing this shit.”
“Then to ESPN,” he said before pausing and turning off the camera. ‘Just stop contributing to the problem. And stop making sport a place where women don’t feel safe and welcome.’
Annie, along with other users, pointed out how ESPN routinely scrutinizes women.
Closing her five-minute video, Annie said the broadcast could have focused on them at any time during the nine innings. She suggested that ESPN should have appeared while they were fanning and applauding. Furthermore, she emphasized that the focus should have been on the game in the first place.
“We cannot eat in peace. We cannot dress in peace,” he said. “We literally can’t do anything without it being sexualized or turned into something totally out of context.”
“I agree that I’m making a big deal out of it and there are more important things to focus on,” Annie continued. “That is, the national championship game we came to see.”
‘So don’t say we do it for ourselves when you do it for us anyway. Be better at your job ESPN.’