In an attempt to draw attention to domestic violence issues against women, Italian news website Fanpage created a video that features several young boys and a young girl named Martina. In the video, the narrator asks five boys -- ranging from ages 6 to 11 -- a series of introductory questions about themselves before introducing them to Martina.
Since being posted to Facebook on Jan. 3, the video has already garnered more than 29 million views, likely due to its uncomfortable nature.
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Post by Fanpage.it.
First, the narrator asks the boys what they like most about Martina, just by looking at her. Between giggles, they answer with physical features, like her eyes or her hair. Then, the boys are prompted to caress her, resulting in an awkward brush of the hand on her face or the gentle touching of her arm.
The mood and background music are strangely light and playful, but the video takes a more serious tone when the narrator asks the boys to slap Martina.
"Slap her, go on, slap her," the narrator repeats when the boys hesitate. (Marina, for her part, looks bewildered and apprehensive.) Ultimately, each boy refuses to "slap a pretty girl."
A word to the wise: You should probably stay from slapping people in general, not just because they're pretty or girls.