A man's hunt for 'girl of his dreams' in supermarket causes controversy
An Australian man who spotted "the girl of his dreams" in a supermarket is on an Internet hunt to find her, in spite of the fact people are finding it creepy.
Brok Neilson, from the Gold Coast in Queensland, thought he had experienced love at first sight when he spotted a mystery brunette from afar in the fruit and vegetable section of Woolworths on Monday. What began as a Facebook post, soon spiralled into an online campaign to reunite the pair.
Although some find the gesture romantic, the ordeal has faced heavy backlash from people who don't see the rosy side of capturing and sharing a photograph online of a woman who didn't give her consent.
How the story unfolded
Blake Mitchell Nicholls, a friend of Brok Neilson, posted on the Woolworths Facebook page on Monday, asking if the supermarket chain could help with finding a mystery brunette girl, who was apparently shopping for mushrooms. A distant photo with the girl's back turned was attached to the post.
"I was at Woolworths (Q Super Centre) this evening at 7:38pm (AEST) with my friend Brok buying fresh produce to make butter chicken when he's glanced over at the girl of his dreams," Nicholls wrote. "Girl buying mushrooms if you read this, we will be in this section every night at 7:38pm until we meet again."
The post culminated in an online campaign created by Neilson's friends to find the mystery woman, titled Hope For Brok. Long story short, the original post gathered thousands of likes and shares from the public, and attracted a pun-heavy reply from the supermarket chain.
"Next time tell Brok not be chicken, just rice up and say hello! We hear love grows in the produce department," a spokesperson for the company wrote on Twitter, with a winking face emoji in tow.
Soon enough, this so-called social media romance was picked up by the Australian media, as the quest for Neilsen's unrequited love continued. But it was soon to take a negative turn.
The criticism: Is it cyberstalking?
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Neilson's quest for love was quickly criticised online, with many labelling it "creepy" and an act of harassment. Commentators wondered why Neilsen didn't just approach her -- instead of taking a photo from behind and using the Internet to find her.
Some people highlighted the fact the unknown woman didn't consent to the photo, and were not certain if she was open to these kinds of pseudo-romantic approaches.
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It also became the focus for a number of opinion pieces disparaging the campaign, one of which by The Guardian's Elle Hunt, took aim at not only the act of taking the photo and sharing it, but also the media for reporting "on every bozo's bid for internet infamy."
"Whether or not these stories have 'happy endings' is sort of beside the point: women have a right to be in public spaces (and private ones!) without being co-opted into some bloke's bid for 'love' or likes," Hunt wrote.
The people behind the Hope For Brok campaign are yet to respond to any of the criticism when asked by Mashable Australia.
It could be an elaborate hoax
Put on your tin foil hats, this story could be a ruse to make us think Woolworths supermarkets are an ideal location to start a dalliance.
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While we're yet to see any evidence to suggest so, the swift transformation from Facebook post to online campaign raises questions, although it's highly conceivable that Neilson's mates are likely just an enthusiastic match-making bunch.
Although to further add to the conspiracy theory, it is nearly one year to the day since the supermarket's widely lambasted "Fresh In Our Memories" Anzac Day campaign was launched, as one tweeter pointed out.
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Despite the critics, the search continues
"Mystery brunette's friend came to meet us to make sure Brok isn't a creep and it's a match! Who knows what will happen next with this mysterious brunette!" an admin wrote on the Hope For Brok page.
The update included a recent photo taken of the mystery girl. A "mate" of Brok's named Adrian, who is managing the Hope for Brok Facebook page, told Mashable Australia on Messenger the photograph was captured by a friend of the girl's. It is not yet known if or when the pair will meet face-to-face. "I can't say much just yet, but she sent her friend back to meet us," Adrian said.
As the story continues to steal the Internet's attention, the question still remains for many people: Is it okay to photograph and share a photo of a woman in public online, if it's apparently for love?
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