Depending on whom you ask, a crazy lady got bent out of shape over a dad joke, or a pro-cop token sexually harassed a peaceful protester. Below are both versions of this modern-day Rashomon. Like Harambe, the Hugh Mungus meme works for all political persuasions.
(image: Block The Bunker Facebook event)
Background:
Seattle held raucous City Council meetings over plans to build an expensive new police precinct opponents call “The Bunker.” Emotions ran high. This much everyone agrees on.
During the chaos, local news teams were interviewing attendees, including resident Rudy Pantoja. Pantoja expressed appreciation and support for the police, who had helped his daughter get help with her personal and legal problems. Protester Zarna Joshi felt the press was not covering the event proportionally, and began to film Pantoja’s interview to show that his views were not representative of the protesters. After the interview, Pantoja saw Joshi was filming him. What happens next is an Abbott and Costello routine for the modern era. The transcript below honors Pantoja’s nom de guerre, “Hugh Mungus.”
Mungus: Are you taking my picture?
Joshi: Mm-hm. Yeah.
Mungus: Do you want my name?
Joshi: Yeah, sure.
Mungus: It’s Hugh Mungus.
Joshi: OK. Hugh Mungus what? Hugh Mungus what?
Mungus: Hugh Mungus…
Joshi: Hugh Mungus what?
Mungus: Hugh Mungus.
Joshi: Hugh Mungus what?
Mungus: Hugh… Hugh Mungus!
Joshi: Hugh Mungus what?
Mungus: That’s what it is. Hugh Mungus.
Joshi: Hugh Mungus what? Is that sexual harassment?
Mungus: No. It’s Hugh Mungus.
Joshi: Then why did you say that to me?
Mungus: That’s my name.
Joshi: What? Hugh Mungus What?
Mungus: Hugh Mungus What?
Joshi: Hugh Mungus What?
[camera starts shaking]
Joshi: Is that sexual harassment? Is that what you did when you just said that to me?
Mungus: What? Hugh Mungus?
Joshi: Why would you say that to me?
Mungus: You asked for my name.
Joshi: Why would you say that to me?
Mungus: Why would I say it to you?
Joshi: Why would you say that to me?
Mungus: Why would you ask me my name?
Joshi: What? Hugh Mungus what? Hugh Mungus what? Hugh Mungus what? Hugh Mungus what? [yelling] This person just sexually– just… just spoke to me in a sexually harassing way!
Mungus: Oh, I did not.
Joshi: Yes he did! He said, he said ‘Do you know what my name is?’ And I said “What?” And he said “Hugh Mungus!”
Bystander: WHAT?!?!
Joshi: Yeah! Yeah! This person just sexually harassed me!
Mungus: I said I’m Hugh Mungus!
Joshi: Yeah, that’s right!
Mungus: [Pointing to himself] See? It’s Hugh Mungus.
Joshi: Oh, so now you’re actually pointing to yourself. You’re actually pointing to your body parts.
Mungus: I’m Hugh Mungus!
Joshi: You’re actually pointing to your body parts and saying that you’re Hugh Mungus.
Mungus: I’m Hugh Mungus!
Joshi: You’re actually doing that! And this is the person who just got interviewed as a pro-Bunker person of color, as if you represent us!
Mungus: I didn’t-
Joshi: They’re using you as a token! And then you speak to me in a sexually harassing manner. How dare you! How dare you! Disgusting!
Mungus: How would you know anything about me?
Joshi: You just abused a woman!
Mungus: I abused nothing.
Joshi: You just abused a woman and you have the audacity to say that girls matter!
At this point Mungus walks away, but Joshi continues filming as security tries to de-escalate the situation.
Version 1: Hugh Mungus Facebook Meme Mocks ‘Triggered’ Woman
The pro-Joshi side of the meme focuses on how the meme trivializes her concerns about police expansion, mocks what she felt was sexual harassment, and distracts from the serious matters at hand. In a now-deleted Facebook post, Joshi described what prompted her to film:
Every day it gets worse. I went to City Hall to #BlocktheBunker this morning and after public comment, I was standing in the lobby with the crowd, recording media interviews and stuff. Some TV crew were recording an interview with a pro-Bunker guy, who said his name was Rudy, who had talked about how the cops had helped his heroin addicted daughter and that “Girls Matter”.
Version 2: Crazy Feminist Gets Triggered Ft. Hugh Mungus
h3h3productions has a two-part overview including an interview with Hugh Mungus. Mungus says he reached out to Joshi about meeting up to resolve the dispute, but she told him not to contact her any more. He also explains how he became Hugh Mungus, which involved a lot of hearty breakfasts over many decades.
Who is right? Please share your comments on this important meme.
To support Zarna Joshi’s side, please join in the fight to stop The Bunker. To support Hugh Mungus, he asks that you contribute to Hope Soldiers, the organization that helped his heroin-addicted daughter recover.