Muslim woman calls out old man for thinking she’s dressed as a “penguin”

A Muslim woman went viral on TikTok after calling out an elderly man who thought she was dressed like a “penguin”.

TikTok is home to countless viral moments, often captured by regular people simply getting on with their day. While many are light-hearted, there are others that spark more serious conversations about society.

In a short clip with 2.1 million views, a woman called Savannah revealed an unusual question an elderly man allegedly asked her while she was working at an aquarium, sparking debate on the app.

The TikToker claimed that the man asked her “are you dressed up as a penguin?” while she was wearing her black and white hijab.

“Once he pointed that out, I was thinking ‘do I look like a penguin?’ I didn’t know what to say,” she explained. “So I was like ‘yeah, I’m a penguin,’ cause like I thought he was joking, but he was dead serious.”

Savannah said the man later offered her an apology.

“When he got to the end to the sales area I said to him ‘hey, I’m not a penguin by the way’ and he said “I’m so sorry, I realize that”,’ she recalled.

TikTok users in the comments were divided on the incident, with some saying the man was rude to Savannah.

“I think he was trying to insult you and justify it by expecting you to insult him back. When you didn’t play along, he just felt bad,” one person wrote.

“That’s so rude,” another said. “I’m sorry beautiful,” a third added.

The majority, however, defended the elderly man and saw the funny side of the incident.

“I’m sorry, that’s a grandpa joke. Not right, but sure it wasn’t malicious,” one commented.

“I’m Muslim and think it’s a valid question given the environment you were in,” another shared.

“That’s so funny! I bet that guy realized his mistake 5 seconds after he said that and felt mortified,” another comment read.

For more TikTok news and other viral stories, make sure to check out our entertainment section.