Josh Popkin (username fckjoshy), a popular Tik Toker with more than 3 million followers, pulled a prank on a subway train earlier this week that lead to intense backlash. The Bronx native filled a plastic tub with milk and fruity pebbles, pretended to eat out of it and then spilled it all over the subway train as passengers wearing masks scrambled to avoid the mess. Yesterday, he was given the title of ‘Donkey of the Day’ on Breakfast Club.
Recently, the MTA shut down its trains for 4 hours every night for the first time in history for deep cleanings. Since March, over one hundred MTA workers have died from Covid-19 and the transportation authority took to Twitter to slam Popkin.
A new low: Pulling a prank on essential workers in the middle of a global pandemic. And making essential workers clean up your mess. Despicable. https://t.co/hMu8g5cJY9
— MTA. Stay Home. Stop the Spread. (@MTA) May 13, 2020
Soon after, Popkin filmed an apology video but many are calling its sincerity into question. Many noted that the racial disparities of Covid-19— which is disproportionately killing Blacks and Latinos— likely contributed to Popkin’s tone-deafness about essential workers and the tragedy of the pandemic. Some noted that besides Popkin, every passenger on the train appears to be a person of color.
