TikToker uses fake hickeys to keep away gym creeps, tip goes viral instantly
Being a woman at a gym isn't easy, just ask TikToker @blackmarketbagelsociety0. She went viral in December 2021 after sharing a novel idea to keep away the creeps at the gym - involving hickeys. The video instantly went viral not just on TikTok, but other platforms as well. Needless to say, the net was divided. While some users were pretty impressed, others weren't too happy at the lengths she had to go to.
Since going mainstream a few years ago, TikTok has become a treasure trove for advice. In November, Wanda Vela went viral for her hack to avoid shovers on the NYC subway - locking herself to poles. Of course, the app has also drawn a lot of controversies, especially for its viral challenges that have left parents, and even the police to issue warnings. But every now and then, you might come across some genuinely helpful advice.
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So if you are facing issues at the gym, @blackmarketbagelsociety0 has you covered. Here's how she keeps away the creeps at the gym, and you can too, if unsolicited advice is definitely something you hate.
Fake hickeys keep the men away
"Life hack- no man has tried to correct my form since smearing brown eyeshadow on my neck like hickeys," the TikToker wrote in her video, which she filmed at a gym. The video shows the TikToker showing off her fake hickeys, seen as two dark marks on her neck. "Guess my form is just better this week," she mocked, indicating that the tip appears to work. Gym harassment is a serious issue with 56.37% of female gym members experiencing harassment according to Run Repeat. Those numbers are even more concerning when you take into account the fact over 90% of harassment cases go unreported.
If you, like @blackmarketbagelsociety0 face harassment or just unsolicited advice frequently, it might be worth trying out. The idea received mixed responses, with one TikToker summing up the situation - "Misogynistic problems require misogynistic solutions." Another noted, "It’s weird that the same people who notice the hickeys are the same people who don’t notice that you wear headphones and don’t want/need their ‘help’." One person slammed, "1. That’s hella creative, 2. I absolutely with all my heart hate that you had to go to that length to get men to not give unsolicited advice." Another commented, "Men will literally respect imaginary men more than real living women."
The video has since garnered over 1.6 million views and plenty of comments, but it certainly does appear to work. As one user noted, "They respect the ‘man’ you’re ‘with’ more than you as a human being. Which says a lot about society." The video has also got people talking about another gym TikTok by Heidi Aragon, who caught a creep staring at her while she was working out. Aragon wasn't going to let him get away with it, and he was widely condemned as a result.