Qld podcaster Chris Griffin slammed over toxic ‘hot girl walk’ views on women
A Queensland podcaster with more than 300k followers on social media has been slammed by a fellow influencer who accused him of making “toxic and misogynistic” comments about women.
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Influencer Laura Henshaw has spoken out against “toxic” and “misogynistic” comments made by a Queensland podcaster, airing her concerns to thousands of followers on Instagram.
Henshaw, co-founder of health and wellness app, Kic, took to social media to re-share a snippet from Chris Griffin’s podcast, The Pocket, that aired on April 24 about his opinions on women’s working rights.
Both Henshaw and Griffin have more than 300,000 followers on Instagram.
“The video was a podcast clip between two young men and the message it sends to other young men about women (who I assume would be their listeners) is so dangerous,” she said to her hundreds of followers.
“I am not sharing to send hate to them, I just generally am perplexed at the message this is sending to young men (and women) and we just need to do so much better.”
The episode Henshaw is referencing is Episode 68 of Griffin’s podcast where he claims he doesn’t want his partner to work unless “she wants to work”.
“If you feel the need to go and work to make money then you come home and you’re complaining about your day,” he said.
“If I ask you ‘how was your day?’ I want you to light up with excitement with whatever the f**k it was. It’s the calm. It’s the harmony. It’s the peace and love that a man that’s got a busy life that’s chasing his dreams needs when he’s trying to wind down.”
Griffin goes on to encourage women to go on “hot girl walks” to have a “bit of excitement about their day”.
“Would love my partner to go on a hot girl walk with her friends every day, she gets this feminine energy they get to talk their s**t and then they get to have a bit of excitement about their day,” he said.
“I don’t think a girl needs to go through challenge, pain and hardship to be an amazing girl. I think she can fill her day with passion-filled things and still be amazing.”
Since it was first posted on April 24, the controversial snippet has attracted 1,000 comments, slamming Griffin’s views.
“When you reduce her day to ‘hot girl walks’ and ‘collecting postcards’, you’re mistaking decorative fluff for purpose and stripping away autonomy, financial security and the chance to grow. In your world, walls rise around women's dreams, widening gaps in pay, leadership and mental health. Thinking women don’t need challenge, pain or hardship to be amazing isn’t empowerment either, it’s a cage that denies someone of resilience and growth,” one commenter wrote.
A second commenter suggested Griffin should “check his privilege.”
“Some households need two incomes just to make ends meet. Further, your partner is allowed to have a bad day and should feel safe to vent about it when she gets home without worrying about if she’s failing to inspire you,” they wrote.
Other commenters have called on Griffin to “do better.”
In response to the concerns raised by Henshaw, Griffin said he stood by his words.
“This isn’t about control. It’s about choice. If she wants to chase a career, I’ll back her 100 per cent. If she wants to stay home, I’ll support that too,” he said.
“I also don’t think it’s fair to label traditional masculine values as ‘toxic’. Wanting to provide, protect, and lead with strength doesn’t make a man toxic. It makes him grounded in his role. “What is toxic is weakness, masked as masculinity … insecurity, control, emotional suppression. That’s not what I stand for.
“Men and women are equal, absolutely. But we are not the same. Pretending we are strips away our natural strengths and creates confusion instead of connection.
“I respect your view, I just don’t share it. And I know not everyone will agree with mine, but that’s okay. I’m not here to please everyone. I just stand by what I believe, with respect.”
Henshaw described the response as “incredibly disappointing.”
“It is interesting you see the key word as ‘wants’, instead of ‘I don’t want’ or the statement you made about what a man with a ‘busy life’ needs. It is hard not to see that this video implies that you as a man and your dreams are more important than a woman’s,” she wrote.
“Freedom in a relationship is having equality. I do wonder do you plan to pay your partner’s Superannuation as well as your own? How would you support a partner if you break up if she has been out of the workforce for years? Would you continue to financially support her then as you have had the space and time to build your career and she has not?
“You have influence mate and you have an opportunity here to go within and learn something. I know personal growth is important to you through what I’ve seen from your content and this is it.
“I do really hope you are able to step back and reflect.”
Originally published as Qld podcaster Chris Griffin slammed over toxic ‘hot girl walk’ views on women
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