Rebecca Judd Is Being Criticised For Avoiding Tony Jones’ Kiss, Because The Internet Is Weird

Every woman has a story about working with a dude who makes you feel a little uncomfortable. Maybe he asked you weird questions, insisted on hugging you at the start of every work day (just, no) or just got a bit inappropriate during Friday night drinks.

Now, I am not saying that Channel Nine reporter Tony Jones is that guy — he might be a great guy to work with! But I can say with absolute certainty that most women will be able to relate to this video of Rebecca Judd basically putting her neck out to avoid being kissed by a male colleague.

Yesterday was Rebecca Judd’s last night of doing the weather before going on maternity leave, so everyone’s TV Dad/the Channel Nine news anchor Peter Hitchener, said goodbye and good luck. That’s when their colleague Tony Jones slid into frame and put his arm around Judd, whose reaction was “Oh, oh!” like that politely startled sound women make when confronting an awkward situation.

Then he tried to kiss Judd (it’s very unclear if he was going for her cheek or mouth) and in response, she whipped her head away so quickly that he almost toppled over. She then raised her eyebrows and said, “Okaaaaay!” It was the most savage and fantastic thing I have ever seen on Australian television.

Let’s get one thing straight: sometimes people don’t like being touched by people they don’t know that well. And that’s okay! Being friendly is not always an invitation to be hugged and patted and pecked. When a man or a woman prefers not to touched or kissed by a workmate this doesn’t mean that they’re rude or stand off-ish — they just don’t need your hands on them! It doesn’t mean there’s a personal gripe there.

@TJch9 you know I love you!

— Rebecca Judd (@becjuddloves) August 1, 2016

However, this morning Rebecca Judd has been bombarded with criticism saying that it was “impolite” for her not to allow Tony Jones to kiss her. Huh?

@becjuddloves @TJch9 well normally polite thing to do is accept a kiss on the cheek, not embarrass the bloke.

— Tim Colbert (@timothycolbert) August 1, 2016

@becjuddloves @TJch9 dissed him good and proper Bec…poor form…

— Bernadette (@jaybesik) August 1, 2016

@becjuddloves shit form…..Your no better than anyone else, He was only trying to be polite. — Mitchell Backman (@mitchbackman) August 1, 2016

@becjuddloves Can’t even take a kiss on the cheek. You’re such a high maintenance princess!

— Dan the Artist (@artistdanz) August 1, 2016

@TJch9 @becjuddloves geez guys. Bec he was hardly trying to stick his tongue in. Simply a kiss on the cheek. In France they’d laugh at u…

— Damo (@Damo66953588) August 2, 2016

@TJch9 @becjuddloves pathetic Bec.

— Jan Hibble (@bimmyjartel) August 2, 2016

It’s bizarre to assume that a woman should always accept being kissed or hugged for fear of seeming mean; that her discomfort should be secondary to the discomfort of a man. This is not the first time that Rebecca Judd has been less than keen to move her relationship with Tony Jones beyond ‘two humans sitting at a desk together’. Once on air Jones invited Judd for a BBQ and his place on the weekend and Judd said very quickly and casually: “No, thanks.”

These videos are burned into my mind for all eternity and although we’ll probably never know the subtext, one thing is for sure: no-one loved this moment more than Peter Hitchener.