...a programming note:
Blogging will be sparse the next couple of days. Oh, there
will be some stuff, but, you know tis the season … to be given the gift of the flu
by Carlos.
Yes.He.Did. And in return I have given him the gift of a throat so sore
I cannot speak, though I do have a myriad of hand gestures with which to get my
point across, but I digress.
Hope you all have a lovely holiday, while I’ll be having a lovely
holidaze, and now … The ISBL Asshat of the Week:
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Usually the ward is given to politicians of the Republican variety or pious members of the church who blame everyone but themselves for their ills, but this week the ISBL Asshat of the Week Award goes to Justine Sacco.
Don’t know who she is? You will.
Justine Sacco was the senior director of corporate communications at InterActiveCorp [IAC] which owns, among other things, The Daily Beast and Match.com. Last Friday as she was preparing to take a trip abroad she Tweeted this:
Yes.She.Did. Because only Africans have AIDS; and only Black Africans at that. Apparently being a big-shot at an internet company does not require one to read the news or stay current on any number of topics.
Naturally. After the Tweet went viral, Sacco issued an apology, and I will give her credit for not issuing a Fauxpology. No, she said this, and I’m guessing she was using a shovel to dig herself in further:
"Words cannot express how sorry I am, and how necessary it is for me to apologize to the people of South Africa, who I have offended due to a needless and careless tweet. There is an AIDS crisis taking place in this country, that we read about in America, but do not live with or face on a continuous basis. Unfortunately, it is terribly easy to be cavalier about an epidemic that one has never witnessed firsthand."
Yes, folks, there is no AIDS crisis in this country; no one lives with this; and Sacco has never seen it firsthand, even at her own internet company.
Naturally, Justine Sacco was fired from her job almost instantly, and IAC released this statement:
"The offensive comment does not reflect the views and values of IAC. We take this issue very seriously, and we have parted ways with the employee in question."
Kudos to IAC for taking such a strong, and direct, stand against this kind of asshattedness. But I might have kept Sacco on and maybe made her work in some AIDS-related charity, or volunteer in a hospital with AIDS patients right here in America so she can see that this isn’t just a problem in Africa, but it’s worldwide.
Just like her asshattitude.
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Again, to reiterate the point. Everyone has the right of free speech however, corporations have the right to project a certain image and when an employee like this one make such an offensive, disrespectful and hurtful remark like she did, shows her true insensitivity and employers have a right not to pay an employee like this.
ReplyDeleteI hope your recovery is quick Bob and Felice Navidad!
Ron
OK, here's what I don't get.
ReplyDeleteDo people not understand that what they Tweet will get spread around world, the more offensive and stupid, the faster it spreads.
I don't wish the woman any ill will. But I hope Santa provides with a stocking full of awareness and humanity.
Rule for the kids, since they learned to type -never, ever post anything you would not want your mother to read.
ReplyDeletePS - stay warm and cozy and healthy! (er) xoxoxoxox
ReplyDeletestupid beeyotch! she deserved to lose her job.
ReplyDeleteget well soon, youse guys!
How did she ever become an executive? Her apology was even worse and made to be even more clueless. South Africa is a country, part of the African continent. And while SA does have an AIDS problem, it is not on the same level as many other African countries (the ones we read about).
ReplyDeleteWow, what a totally stupid human.
ReplyDeleteGet well soon!
Happy holidays to you both!