View this post on Instagram
All this, of course, under the cover of dubious humor which is intended to be light but which falls heavily into bad taste.
And as if that were not enough, Kate Finn, the wife of Geoff Molson, owner of the Montreal Canadiens, was not spared from this charade.
Her image, accompanied by her husband, was posted to become the target of gratuitous commentary, transforming a private figure into a grotesque subject of debate.
Worse still, the video, despite having limited comments, continues to circulate, amplifying the public humiliation.
The most disgusting thing about all of this is that this kind of content reflects a toxic online culture where public figures or their loved ones become objects of entertainment.
Team owners' wives never asked to be in the spotlight, much less to be judged by such simplistic criteria.
This type of publication reduces their existence to sexual stereotypes, dehumanizing these women by reducing them to images on which strangers claim the right to speculate.
For Geoff Molson, the situation is just as delicate.
How do you react when the most important person in your life becomes a target of such content?
Perhaps he can console himself by telling himself that the comment about her was “flattering”but let's be honest: this in no way erases the humiliation that this publication represents.
Beyond Kate Finn, this video asks a crucial question: at what point do we decide, as a society, that online behavior needs to be regulated?
When is the line between humor and bullying crossed? There's nothing funny about this kind of video. It is a direct attack, a gratuitous gesture which only reinforces the idea that everything is permitted on social networks, to the detriment of human dignity.
It is time to ask ourselves what the real repercussions of these publications are. While this video may seem insignificant to some, it is a glaring example of an online culture where empathy is disappearing in favor of virality.
The women targeted never asked to be put in this position, and they should not have to suffer the consequences of the thoughtless actions of an attention-hungry content creator.
This isn't the first time inappropriate content has made the rounds on social media, and unfortunately it won't be the last.
But what makes this situation particularly troubling is the way in which it has been normalized. The video was seen, shared and commented on, without anyone seeming to question the limits of this kind of content.
For Kate Finn and the other women affected by this video, the damage is done.
But perhaps this incident can serve as a catalyst for broader thinking about how we use social media.
It's time to draw the line, reaffirm that certain behaviors are simply unacceptable, and hold those who contribute to this toxic culture accountable.
In the meantime, we can only have a sincere thought for Kate Finn and all the other women who were, despite themselves, involved in this shameful scandal.
Because behind the photos and videos, there are human beings with emotions, families and lives that should never become the playground of a handful of buzz-seeking people.
What if Geoff Molson had to answer all of this?
Perhaps he should simply point out that neither he nor his wife signed up to be extras in such a circus.
They chose to represent the Montreal Canadiens, not to become the subjects of a public judgment as absurd as it is offensive.
Misery …
