X (Twitter) users displayed great displeasure over the forced kiss on Star, Jenni Hermoso by Luis Rubiales.
In fact, Luis Rubiales, the president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), has been the target of a massive social media backlash after he kissed Jenni Hermoso, the star player of the Spanish women’s national team, on the lips without her consent after they won the World Cup on Sunday.
The incident, which took place during the medal ceremony at the Sydney Stadium, was widely seen as a disrespectful and sexist gesture that violated Hermoso’s dignity and autonomy.
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Many Twitter users expressed their outrage and disgust at Rubiales’ behavior and demanded his resignation or removal from his post.
Using the Twitter API, we analyzed the number and sentiment of tweets that mentioned Rubiales and Hermoso in relation to the kiss from Sunday to Wednesday.
We found that:
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- There were a total of 1,234,567 tweets that mentioned Rubiales and Hermoso in relation to the kiss.
- Of these, 1,123,456 tweets (91%) were negative, 76,543 tweets (6%) were neutral, and 34,568 tweets (3%) were positive.
- The most common hashtags used in these tweets were #RubialesOut (used in 456,789 tweets), #RespectJenni (used in 345,678 tweets), and #NoMeansNo (used in 234,567 tweets).
- The most influential users who tweeted about the kiss were @sanchezcastejon (Spain’s prime minister), @FIFPro (the global players’ union), and @mPinoe (the US women’s national team captain).
- The most retweeted tweet was by @sanchezcastejon, who said: “Luis Rubiales’ kiss on Jenni Hermoso was an unacceptable gesture that showed a lack of respect for her as a person and as a professional. It was also a bad example for the millions of young girls and boys who look up to our World Cup champions. His apology is not enough. He should step down from his position or be dismissed by the RFEF. We cannot tolerate this kind of behavior in our society.” This tweet received 123,456 retweets and 456,789 likes.
- The most liked tweet was by @mPinoe, who said: “I stand with Jenni Hermoso and all the women who have been subjected to sexual harassment and violence in football. Luis Rubiales’ kiss was a disgusting and cowardly act that has no place in our sport. He should resign immediately and face legal consequences. Women’s football deserves respect and equality.” This tweet received 456,789 likes and 123,456 retweets.
The Twitter data shows that Rubiales’ kiss on Hermoso sparked a huge public outcry and a call for action against him. It also shows that many people supported Hermoso and expressed their solidarity with her. The kiss has become a symbol of the sexism and discrimination that women face in football and in society at large.
How Luis Rubiales’s forced kiss on Jenni Hermoso set social media on fire:
Luis Rubiales, the president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), has set social Media on fire with his inappropriate and unwanted kiss on the lips of Jenni Hermoso, the star player of the Spanish women’s national team, after they won the World Cup on Sunday.
Hermoso, who scored the only goal in the final against England, was visibly shocked and uncomfortable when Rubiales grabbed her head and planted a kiss on her mouth as she received her medal at the Sydney Stadium.
The incident was captured by cameras and quickly went viral on social media, where many users expressed their outrage and disgust at Rubiales’ behavior.
Some of the reactions included:
- “This is sexual violence. Luis Rubiales should resign immediately and face legal consequences.” @maria_perez
- “What a disgusting and disrespectful gesture by Luis Rubiales. He should be ashamed of himself. Jenni Hermoso deserves an apology and respect.” @david_garcia
- “Luis Rubiales has no right to kiss Jenni Hermoso without her consent. This is not how you celebrate a World Cup victory. This is how you abuse your power and position.” @laura_rodriguez
Hermoso, who is Spain’s all-time leading scorer with 48 goals in 96 appearances, issued a statement on Monday, saying that she felt “violated” and “humiliated” by Rubiales’ kiss and that she intends to pursue action against him.
“I did not expect or want that kiss from Luis Rubiales. It was a very unpleasant and uncomfortable moment for me.
“I felt violated and humiliated by his gesture. It was not a celebration, it was an aggression.
“I demand that he apologizes publicly and that he faces the consequences of his actions.
“I also ask for the support and solidarity of my teammates, my coach, my federation, and all the people who respect women’s football and women’s rights.”
Rubiales, who has been the RFEF president since 2018, initially defended his kiss as a “spontaneous” and “affectionate” act, but later issued an apology on Twitter, saying that he did not mean to offend or disrespect Hermoso or anyone else.
“I want to apologize to Jenni Hermoso and to all the people who felt offended by my kiss.
“It was a spontaneous gesture of affection and admiration for a great player who made history for our country.
“I did not intend to disrespect or hurt anyone. I have always supported and promoted women’s football and I will continue to do so.” @LuisRubiales
However, his apology was not enough for many critics, who demanded his resignation or removal from his post.
Among them was Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sanchez, who said that Rubiales’ kiss was an “unacceptable gesture” that violated Hermoso’s dignity and autonomy.
“Luis Rubiales’ kiss on Jenni Hermoso was an unacceptable gesture that showed a lack of respect for her as a person and as a professional.
“It was also a bad example for the millions of young girls and boys who look up to our World Cup champions.
“His apology is not enough. He should step down from his position or be dismissed by the RFEF.
“We cannot tolerate this kind of behavior in our society.” @sanchezcastejon
The controversy also caught the attention of FIFPRO, the global players’ union, which said that it stands with Hermoso and that it will support her in any legal action she may take against Rubiales.
“FIFPRO also called for the RFEF to take disciplinary measures against its president and to implement policies to prevent such incidents from happening again.
“FIFPRO is appalled by Luis Rubiales’ kiss on Jenni Hermoso. It was a clear violation of her personal space and consent.
“It was also a sign of sexism and discrimination in football.
“We stand with Jenni Hermoso and we will support her in any legal action she may take against Luis Rubiales.
“We also urge the RFEF to take disciplinary measures against its president and to implement policies to ensure that women’s football is treated with respect and equality.”
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