YouTuber
Sam Pepper Claims His “Fake Hand Ass Pinch Prank” Video Was A “Social Experiment” Sam Pepper posted a new video in which he ‘pranked’ unsuspecting women by pinching their behinds. The video, which has since been removed from YouTube after being flagged multiple times, depicts Pepper walking up to multiple women with his hands appearing to be in his pockets. In reality, his right hand had been pulled into his sweatshirt, from which he would reach under to grab women’s bottoms as he was talking to them.
The reaction from the YouTube community was visceral. Laci Green wrote an
open letter to Pepper in which she said:
Hi Sam!
Thanks for taking the time to read this letter. As fellow YouTubers, we have much respect for others who put so much hard work into building their channel. It’s not easy, and you should be proud! That said, we’ve noticed that in your success, there has been a lack of respect in return…namely, for women and girls.
You may have noticed that your latest video “Fake Hand Ass Pinch Prank” has garnered considerable negative attention. In this video, you sexually violate a number of unsuspecting women on the street, many of whom are visibly confused and upset at being touched by you without permission. One woman even says “I don’t like that!” while you proceed to laugh and touch her more. In “How to Make Out with Strangers”, made a year ago, you pressure women on camera to make out with you - again, many of whom are visibly uncool with it. Confused and caught off guard, they painfully follow through with your requests, clearly uncomfortable. In “How to Pick Up Girls with a Lasso”, you physically restrain women on the street with lassos - many of whom look alarmed to be restrained by a stranger.
You’d probably be alarmed too, wouldn’t you? Imagine someone on the street comes up and rubs their hand on your bottom, or a girl walks up to you with a camera and forces her mouth onto yours while you’re trying to figure out what’s going on. Imagine walking down the alley alone, when a guy much larger than you physically restrains you with rope and pulls you toward him. You probably wouldn’t like it, right?
People don’t like to be violated and they don’t like to see their friends and girlfriends be violated either (hence the group of men that tried to beat you up in the lasso video). And yet, history suggests that perhaps you find this humorous. It is very disturbing that we live in a world where the violation of women and girls’ bodies is not only funny, but profitable, and can garner considerable notoriety and views on YouTube.
We are deeply disturbed by this trend and would like to ask you, from one creator to another, to please stop. Please stop violating women and making them uncomfortable on the street for views. Please stop physically restraining them and pressuring them to be sexual when they are uncomfortable. Please show some respect for women’s right to their own bodies. While it may seem like harmless fun, a simple prank, or a “social experiment”, these videos encourage millions of young men and women to see this violation as a normal way to interact with women. 1 in 6 young women (real life ones, just like the ones in your video) are sexually assaulted, and sadly, videos like these will only further increase those numbers.
We realize that people make mistakes, and that sometimes it’s hard to see the ripple effect of one’s actions. We really hope that you will take a step back and consider the power you have to be someone who makes the world a better place. It’s not too late to make a change! We invite you to join us in ending widespread bodily violation that takes place in so many forms all around in the world.
As a result of this latest video, Pepper has been banned from major YouTube gatherings such as Playlist, and Vidcon.
He’s also been banned from appearing the popular Fine Bros. series ‘YouTubers react’:
Fellow YouTubers have also called out Pepper for his behavior:
Sam Pepper finally responded to the allegations of sexual harassment after uploading a video of himself pranking women by pinching their buttocks. What he has to say is very interesting.
Pepper first uploading a second video featuring a woman sexually harassing men in the same manner. It was removed from YouTube, very much in the same manner as the first video. He then followed it up with this third video, explaining how he was proud that the YouTube community and other called him out for the behavior.
Furthermore he mentions the women and men in the both videos had consented beforehand, and the set ups were fake, thus dispelling the illusion that Pepper had violated multiple women and men in an attempt to get the correct reaction.
In the video above he explains that sexual harassment works both ways, just as abuse and domestic violence. He didn’t create the campaign to belittle women’s issues, but to bring attention to men’s issues as well.
The general reaction from the community have alleged that Pepper created the second and third after the first was released:
YouTuber Laci Green stated on Twitter that she personally received emails from women who were harassed by Pepper at conventions and gatherings.
And lastly, YouTuber thisbedottie came forward with her story of sexual harassment by Pepper.
What do you guys think? Is Pepper trying to save face or is he just trying to be a voice for equality?
Maisie decided to post her first video after she reached one millions followers on Twitter! Her videos will be called “Random Moment of Madeness with Maisie Williams”. The video is a Q&A and she talks about how fame changed her friendship, her favorite TV show and of course, Game of Thrones.
