A viral video shows a white man dubbed “Chad” losing his cool and hurling racist insults at an Asian man in a California gym.
Don’t worry though, he had a great reason. He wanted to do squats. Immediately.
The incident occurred Thursday at a 24 Hour Fitness in San Diego. A bystander caught much of the exchange on camera, and it spread rapidly online after being shared by Jackfroot, a media and news company that showcases “Asian American lifestyle, entertainment, and beyond.” The media company posted the video to its Instagram, where it has racked up more than 56,000 views.
Before the video began, the Chad—which is comparable to a “Karen“—had apparently been waiting for his turn at the squat rack, which the Asian man was already using. Chad quickly melted into a puddle of racist rage and began shouting slurs at the Asian gym-goer, primarily related to the coronavirus pandemic.
The video shows the two men standing nearly chest to chest—ignoring social distancing recommendations—as Chad unleashes a string of bigoted buzzwords. Much of his tirade is difficult to make out over the noise in the gym, but the video includes captions of his outburst.
“I don’t go to your ch*nk country and spread the ch*nk kung flu virus,” Chad says. He also tosses around the word “terrorist” and tells the man to “go clean my toilet, Gonzola,” which, according to Urban Dictionary, has homophobic implications.
The video sparked outrage online, prompting many viewers to call for the man to be identified and barred from 24 Hour Fitness.
“Come at me Chad,” Instagram user @hohumsup wrote. “I’m always at the platform from 4:30 – 5:30. I can show you how to work your legs instead of your mouth.”
“Get his fucking name out,” user @andy_lee_92 demanded. “I’m waiting for his fake-ass apology.”
Another person predicted how this exposure would likely turn out, quoting a popular meme from earlier this year: “You about to lose yo’ job.”
24 Hours Fitness acted quickly once the video was brought to its attention and terminated Chad’s membership. Jackfroot shared a text from the company calling Chad’s behavior “reprehensible” and saying it does “not tolerate racism in our clubs.”
In a statement to NextShark, 24 Hour Fitness said its gyms maintain “a commitment to creating and maintaining a safe and healthy club environment for our team members, club members and guests that embraces and values diversity and inclusion.”
“We are appalled by the incident and the conduct displayed at the 24 Hour Fitness UTC club in San Diego yesterday; we do not tolerate racism in our clubs,” the statement continued. “We are proud of how our club team was able to de-escalate the situation and have taken the proper steps to ensure a safe and inclusive club environment.”
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H/T Next Shark