Sales Company Outreach Faces Backlash After Ostensibly Firing Man For TikTok In Which He Rags On NYC Bodegas

A good rule of thumb for the internet is "never post on it," as TikToker @grifgreen20 appeared to learn in the latest cancel culture battle happening on both TikTok and Twitter.

Recently, Griffin Green went viral for a video in which he complained that, upon recently moving to the Bronx in New York City, he could not find a well-stocked grocery store, as his Maps app directed him instead to five nearby bodegas.

For those unaware, a "bodega" is a popular type of corner store in New York City that generally sells items like snacks, sandwiches and drinks, but is usually light on ingredients like eggs, vegetables and meats that would be used to cook a meal at home.

Green's TikTok was posted to Twitter by @jessicaofBKLN before she deleted the post, though several reposts are still circulating on the platform.

Original account went private so here’s the video. pic.twitter.com/u9qKxhM7vC

— scuffed b. wiley (@scuffedbob) June 29, 2022

In the TikTok, Green bemoans the Bronx bodegas he frequented and the lack of "proper" nearby grocery stores, references the Ocky Way trend from last year, and concludes by stating he'll probably have cereal for dinner.

As the tweet spread, one Twitter user brought the video to the attention of Green's employer, sales company Outreach, who eventually stated that Green was no longer employed by the company.

He is no longer an employee of Outreach.

— Outreach (@outreach_io) June 29, 2022

Many interpreted the exchange to mean that Outreach had deemed Green's TikTok so offensive that the company fired him for it, leading to a wave of backlash against the company. Multiple Twitter users painted Green as a "fish out of water" complaining about the "food desert" (an area with limited immediate access to quality food) he'd recently moved to and argued the TikTok wasn't offensive, let alone a firable post.

guy made some goofy tiktoks ood the culture shock of moving to NYC & living in a food desert (no grocery stores around) made some mild jokes about being a fish out of water & the internet got him fucking fired@outreach_io your workers are allowed to have lives outside of work https://t.co/wHrsFEKLUG

— shoe (@shoe0nhead) June 30, 2022

Bodega bro got fired for educating us what a food desert is. We should boycott Outreach for their firing. Uno reverse cancel thempic.twitter.com/xRfbLNtxp5

— Terrell Williams (@Terrellwilliamz) June 30, 2022

Fish out of water, a tale as old as time. A new resident tried to get ingredients for a decent meal from a Bronx bodega, when he found them lacking "The Community" cried out that he was disrespecting their culture. https://t.co/OlEiGLsj2J

— Patrick (@OldRituals) June 30, 2022

While Outreach has not expanded on its reasons for firing Green, it is possible some of Green's other TikToks could have contributed to his firing. Another one of his TikToks circulated in the wake of the bodega TikTok in which Green, going to a nearby gym where he claims he would be the only white person, reveals he's wearing an NAACP shirt.

“These people” pic.twitter.com/iJji87Vxyj

— Yuni⚯͛🔮 (@DNetxy) June 27, 2022

Responding to criticism about the NAACP in another video, Green said he got the shirt because he supports the "colored" community. "Colored," though once a common way to refer to Black people, has been deemed antiquated and some have argued it is racist in recent years.

@outreach_io Explain Griffin Green’s hire. QUICKLY. pic.twitter.com/XJ5ICjkXAx

— Marcus💋✌🏾 (@SheldonM4rcus) June 28, 2022

Others noted that Green had posted his letter of employment from Outreach on TikTok. Some speculated that these posts, likely discovered by Outreach in the wake of a Twitter user alerting it to his bodega post, could have led to his dismissal.

At the moment, it's unclear what exactly led to Green's firing, but the intersection of Bodega discourse, gentrification, racism and cancel culture has fueled interest in the story on social media.