Griffin Green, ‘Bodega Bro’: TikTok Videos Cause Controversy

Griffin Green is a Michigan native and new resident of New York known as “Bodega Bro” who says he was fired after posting TikTok jokes about not being able to find good food at bodegas, which are small corner grocery stores.

However, other TikTok users are slamming Green, 22, for making fun of a serious issue (food deserts) and for what they see as his clueless and offensive reactions to newly experiencing New York’s culture and diversity.

Green’s TikTok page @grifgreen20 is now set to private. The profile picture shows Green in a football uniform. His Twitter profile says he is from Rochester, Michigan. According to Reason, critics are painting him as a “Chad from the Midwest,” a derisive term used to refer to white men who don’t understand diverse cultures.

“Do you often hire racist employees?” one Twitter user wrote Green’s former company, Outreach, sharing one of his TikTok videos.

Others defended Green, however, and the company is also getting skewered on social media.

“If an employees says they prefer the Braves to the Yankees, will you fire them too?” wrote one Twitter user to Green’s former company. Another tweeted at the company, “You gave into the Twitter mob within 24hrs and fired an employee for no legitimate reason. Unreal.”

Here’s what you need to know:

1. Green, Who Was a Varsity Football Player in College, Tweeted That He ‘Got Fired for Some Garbage’

LinkedInGriffin Green

Green confirmed that he was fired in a tweet.

“If you’ve been following, you know I got fired for some garbage,” Green tweeted. “Stuck in NY with a 1yr lease not sure how I’m going to pay rent. If you would like to help out ya boy, donate to the link in this tweet!”

According to Reason, Green was fired by software company Outreach, where he worked as entry-level sales development representative.

Green directed people to a tweet by another man that read, “@GBow28 Help Bodega Bro out! His employer fired him for making jokes on TikTok and he needs to pay rent this month.”

That tweet links to a page on GiveSendGo.

The GiveSendGo says:

Bodega Bro, Griffin Green, was wrongly fired by his job Outreach for having the audacity to prefer Kroger to bodegas.

I’m serious.

After moving to New York and signing a lease, the woke mob relentlessly harassed his employer until they caved in and terminated him over some TikTok JOKES. Help Bodega Bro get back on his feet and have enough money to buy all the eggs, yogurt, and cheese he wants from a real supermarket. All proceeds will go to Griffin.

More than $4,000 was raised as of July 1, 2022.

“People can be painted as these mean awful people when really they’re just trying to explore new things,” Green told Reason. “I was exploring New York for the first time…I didn’t know that people do grocery shopping at these corner stores.”

2. Green, Who Studied Economics in College, Was in a Fraternity

An old LinkedIn page said Green was “Looking for SDR work in the NY area.”

His LinkedIn page says he was a business development intern at NoDoubt Showcase in Rochester, Michigan, a sales representation for Viviny in South Carolina, and a residential advisor at Denison University in Ohio. He also worked as a crew lead for Rochester Event and Equipment Rental and as a retail stock clerk for Kim Nhung Superfood in Madison Heights, Michigan.

He graduated from Denison University in 2022, where he studied economics and psychology. He was in Sigma Chi Fraternity, the Investment Club and Varsity football, according to his LinkedIn page. He also attended Oakland University. He is a graduate of Stoney Creek High School.

Denison football says he was a linebacker and adds, “Member of the Leadership Council, Business Professionals of America, and National Business Honors Society at Stoney Creek High School.”

His mother is a physical therapist at a hospital and his father works at a pharmaceutical company, according to their social media accounts.

3. The Company Claims Green Showed a Confidential Employment Letter on TikTok

According to Reason, Green’s company says he was fired for showing a confidential employment letter on TikTok, although “it’s very hard to make out details within it.”

“It is against company policy for employees to leak private and confidential information, and grounds for termination,” wrote Andrew Schmitt, vice president of communications, told Reason.

“We remain committed to building our culture that finds strength in our diversity, equity and inclusion—and a company where all can succeed.”

On June 28, Outreach tweeted at a Green critic, “Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Upon investigation, we took swift internal action in accordance with our company policies and in alignment with our core values.”

4. Green Made Fun of Bodegas in One Video & Proclaimed, ‘I Didn’t Know So Many Gay People Existed’ in Another, Sparking Criticism on Social Media

@dannytoneil Trying to help #GrifGreen20 get adjusted to this NYC life. #Nyc #Bodegas #Bronx #Gentrifiers ♬ original sound – Danny O’Neil

Green’s videos show him walking around New York and making jokes about what he sees.

In one video, Green said, “I’ve literally been to like five of those now, and I don’t know what the f*** I’m about to do for dinner. Like, where are the Krogers and the Whole Foods at? I’m about to eat f****** cereal and ramen for dinner.”

In a video, he said, “OK, I just moved to New York and I tried to go grocery shopping so I typed in grocery stories on my Apple maps. And like every f****** one I go to like I’m walking to, they’re like this sh**. Or like f******, like this. Like brother it’s not a grocery store. I’m trying to get like eggs, yogurt, cheese sh** like that, right.”

He was referring to bodegas in the South Bronx. Bodegas are small grocery stories.

One man on TikTok countered that there are supermarkets within six blocks of where Green was and added, “Why are you coming at the bodegas like that?” Food deserts and underserved communities of color are a serious issue, the man said in his own video.

“Is being gay like the new thing? I didn’t know this many gay people existed. It’s wild,” Green said in another video.

He said in another video, “I’m in the Bronx for a few weeks so I’m like the only white dude in this whole gym, so I got this NAACP shirt so these people vibe with me more.”

A woman responded in her own TikTok video,” Bro, number one you’re in New York. Number two, it’s f****** pride. Number three, what rock have you been living under?

Griffin’s Twitter page reads, “DU ‘22🏈| 2 Thessalonians 3:10 | Hungry dogs run faster | BURN THE SHIPS.” On Twitter, he writes about things like financial planning and sports and has tweeted at Elon Musk.

@aaronrian503 #stitch with @sophrogitz Do this and you’ll get fired. #greenscreen #grifgreen20 #bodega #griffengreen #newyork #fired #howtogetfired #jobadvice #outreach #gentrification #bodegas #fooddesert #fyp #trending #viraltiktok #aaronrian #realtorsoftiktok #remaxrealty #redfin #kellerwilliams #firedonjob #berkshirehathaway #century21 #coldwellbanker #weichertrealtors #compassrealty #exprealty #exitrealty ♬ FEEL THE GROOVE – Queens Road, Fabian Graetz

People have posted TikTok videos criticizing Green.

One man said in a TikTok video that Green offended a lot of people.

“This is the young man who was walking around New York City making fun of people who live in the community, specifically the people who run bodegas, own bodegas or shop at them,” the TikTok user said in a video. “He was walking around complaining how they are a waste of space, and how he wants to go to Krogers and Whole Foods and all kinds of craziness… he offended so many people, including his employer.”

@giftedzoomer #grifgreen20 #newyork #whiteboy #millionaire #millionairemindset ♬ original sound – Zoomified

A snippet of video showed Green in front of a bodega, saying, “It’s not a grocery.” He went into the bodegas “talking smack” and making fun of people, the TikTok user said.

Another TikTok user said of Green: “I just saw the poor guy stumbling around New York City…” He said he wanted to offer Green tips on “how to move to New York City without embarrassing himself.”

5. Some People Slammed Outreach for Firing Green

Other people criticized the company on Twitter. “Hi Outreach, one of your employees complained about Cinnebarre in 2012, please fire them,” wrote one Twitter user.

“So they did fire him all because had trouble finding an actual grocery story. I honestly do pray that companies like @outreach_io, that fire their employees over false character accusations go bankrupt or get painfully sued,” wrote another Twitter user.

“Can i see a company roster? since you’re letting the mob fire people for you, that is. would like to look up your other employees and find a few who’ve said things i don’t like. i’ve never fired anyone before. seems fun,” wrote another.

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