A Melbourne woman is urging people to 'be aware' after a 'random act of kindness' video left her feeling 'dehumanised' and 'offended'.
Last month, TikTok user Harrison shared a video of himself approaching a woman who was sitting at a table and drinking a cup of coffee. He asked if she'd mind holding a bouquet of flowers while he put on a coat, but then he walked away and left her with the bouquet.
A caption alongside the video read: "I hope this made her day better," and the clip quickly earned a wealth of praise from users on TikTok, where it has amassed more than 59 million views so far.
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Dozens of commenters celebrated Harrison for his act of kindness, but it has now emerged that the woman in the video, identified by the name Maree, was not as touched by the situation as many people suspected.
The woman made clear that she was uncomfortable with the attention she was getting as a result of the video, telling ABC Radio Melbourne’s Virginia Trioli that she feels 'dehumanised' after it spread across the globe.
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Recalling the interaction she had with Harrison, Maree said: "A guy came up and asked very politely whether I’d hold these flowers for him, so I did. And, you know, I made a bit of chit chat about, you know, who was the lucky person, blah, blah. And anyway, he said, ‘Oh, someone very special’.
"And then he really just, you know, put his backpack on and his jacket on and just sort of strode off.”
Maree criticised outlets for finding stills of her from the video in which she was 'supposedly crying', saying it was 'just a horrible expression'.
Setting the record straight, Maree said: "I just was quite offended. He interrupted my quiet time, filmed and uploaded a video without my consent, turning it into something it wasn’t, and I feel like he is making quite a lot of money through it.”
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Following her experience, Maree believes people should 'challenge' the notion that such videos are 'random acts of kindness'. She admitted she was surprised Harrison could legally film her without her permission, and added: "I don’t really even take it personally anymore, but I just think that other women, especially older women, should be aware that if it can happen to me, it can happen to anybody.”
In response to Maree's reaction, Harrison's management said the 22-year-old was just trying to do something nice.
They told news.com.au: "He offers flowers and pays for complete strangers’ groceries, and while cynics may claim it’s for views, Harrison simply has a personal commitment to helping people feel more connected and trusting. His videos are filmed in public places and so technically do not require consent.
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“Having said that, while he has only so far encountered gratitude, if someone is upset, then they should feel free to personally email him. He would not want something designed to spread love and compassion to cause anyone concern.”
UNILAD has reached out to Harrison for further comment.
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Topics: Viral, World News, TikTok
Emily Brown