Netflix comms boss sacked for using very bad word

dowie

dowie

dowie

Caporegime
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I read these headlines about the story initially thinking Communications director, he really should know better, what a numpty, just don't use *that* word FFS!

But then the details of the story seem to paint a different picture:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-44585072

https://deadline.com/2018/06/jonath...ef-following-insensitive-comments-1202415977/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...han-Friedland-fired-using-N-word-meeting.html

While I wouldn't expect there to be many reasons why someone in a regular office job should utter the word actually the fact that he was a head of communications and the meeting was a PR meeting where the topic of discussion was sensitive words... well I guess given they are a company that puts out content where that word might be used then it isn't quite so far fetched that someone might use it in a descriptive sense in such a meeting. He's not referring to any person, he's not repeating some rap lyrics, he's not trying to use it in some misguided humorous way - he's the head of communications trying to have an adult conversation about sensitive words and he's used it in a descriptive context. But people got triggered...

He's then apparently apologised to the people in the meeting later he's seemingly had to meet with two (the articles makes a note of the fact that they're black) HR personnel about the incident and seems to have uttered the word a second time there - almost certainly in a descriptive sense again. Presumably, though he knows not to use it in a big meeting given the flake he received, he perhaps thought that he could have a candid/factual discussion with HR? Seemingly not, they were apparently triggered too and apparently he hadn't learned his lesson...

So now some random exec who probably wasn't a racist and was presumably otherwise quite decent at his job gets sacked because, well that is expected these days... he's of course issued a grovelling apology on twitter. It just seems bizarre, I don't think it would be quite as controversial in the UK, it isn't unheard of to see for example white people use the word in a purely descriptive sense on UK TV shows (Frankie Boyle, Stuart Lee etc...) but we do seem to follow the US in this sense and it does seem that as a society we're getting a bit oversensitive to the point where things get a bit silly.
 
Interesting comparison of white comedians to a white senior director in a large company.

Do you think it's a surprise to the organisers of TV shows when the people they booked head off into the gutter with their routine?

His own problem if he managed to misread a business situation and use inappropriate language. Twice. I've seen people get sacked before by doing stupid things at work under the false belief that the staff around them are ok with it. Next thing you know there's an internal investigation going down and once that happens all discretion is out the window and the rule book gets examined.
 
"In a descriptive context"?

What does that actually mean? Why couldn't he say black person or use the term 'n-word'?

I'm not sure why there is an uproar about this? A director especially has to be careful about what they say because they represent the company. They can be fired for a lot less. Non-story. It's only in the press because of the word used...
 
sigma said:
"In a descriptive context"?

What does that actually mean? Why couldn't he say black person or use the term 'n-word'?

I'm not sure why there is an uproar about this? A director especially has to be careful about what they say because they represent the company. They can be fired for a lot less. Non-story. It's only in the press because of the word used...
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Really? The fact that it has to be referred to as "the n-word" is utterly pathetic. We live in the real world not Harry potter's universe. It's like he who must not be named ffs.

Saying that we've got 2 out of the 4 triggered horsemen in here, just need explicit and Vincent next!
 
All seems utterly farcical, it's a word, one that is widely used in film and TV yet you can't mention it whilst discussing its use in a film and TV company without being sacked?

Seems very immature.
 
I'm neither offended nor are me feelings hurt.

I always ask for examples when somebody baselessly accuses me of something, and very rarely do they ever back their statements up.

With regard to the story. Need context of what happened and details.

If it was literally a meeting about how to treat/deal with sensitive words, and he used the sensitive word in a list scenario then it's a complete overreaction to sack him.
 
Hastings said he was alerted only this week to a second incident, which took place just days after the first, where Friedland had used the word again - to two black employees in HR who were trying to help him deal with the first offense.

'The second incident confirmed a deep lack of understanding, and convinced me to let Jonathan go now,' he wrote.


If he is calling Employees N words to their faces then, ok.
With almost zero context it seems like a kneejerk reaction.
 
Dis86 said:
Really? The fact that it has to be referred to as "the n-word" is utterly pathetic. We live in the real world not Harry potter's universe. It's like he who must not be named ffs.

Saying that we've got 2 out of the 4 triggered horsemen in here, just need explicit and Vincent next!
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I don't know where you work but where I work the directors are very well spoken and have excellent communication skills that have very clearly been honed and of course trained, for some.

Like I said, if they got fired for saying something else they shouldn't have said then this wouldn't be a story.

N-word, f-word, c-word... you name it, I would not expect a director to utter those words, f word perhaps if something hit the fan but that'd most likely be behind closed doors. Especially from a comms director lol.

I'm not triggered at all, I'll happily call people names but I do have the capacity to realise what situation I'm in.

We also don't know the exact situation. If he was reading it off a list then it's most likely a case of unfair dismissal.
 
sigma said:
I don't know where you work but where I work the directors are very well spoken and have excellent communication skills that have very clearly been honed and of course trained, for some.

Like I said, if they got fired for saying something else they shouldn't have said then this wouldn't be a story.

N-word, f-word, c-word... you name it, I would not expect a director to utter those words, f word perhaps if something hit the fan but that'd most likely be behind closed doors. Especially from a comma director lol.
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Context. It's amazingly important.

Are we going to get to a point where dictionaries are censored and no longer contain the word and instead jist simply say "n-word"? At this rate we're probably going to see book burnings!
 
Dis86 said:
Context. It's amazingly important.

Are we going to get to a point where dictionaries are censored and no longer contain the word and instead jist simply say "n-word"? At this rate we're probably going to see book burnings!
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I've added a bit to my post since your quote.

I agree, context is key here but as neither of us were there we have to assume a lot of things.

To reiterate, I really don't think the directors I have worked with would use this word in a professional capacity.
 
sigma said:
I've added a bit to my post since your quote.

I agree, context is key here but as neither of us were there we have to assume a lot of things.

To reiterate, I really don't think the directors I have worked with would use this word in a professional capacity.
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The context as described is that it was a seminar regarding offensive terms in comedy. It's hard to discuss the offensive terms without using them! Grown adults don't talk about the f word. Or d word. Or x word. That's what children do. Adults use the word when describing it.
The second occasion was him relaying what happened during the first.
 
stockhausen said:
Everyone who hasn't crawled out from under a rock should know by now that the acceptable word is "African American".
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One of my favourite scenes in Three Billboards

Mildred Hayes: So how's it all going in the ******-torturing business, Dixon?

Dixon: It's 'Persons of color'-torturing business, these days, if you want to know. And I didn't torture nobody.
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Dixon : She's against that kinda thing.

Willoughby : Who's against that kinda thing?

Dixon : Who's against what? My momma. Is against 'Persons-of-color torturing'. She said '******-torturing'. I said you can't say '******-torturing' no more. You gotta say 'Persons-of-color' torturing.
Isn't that right, Chief?
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:D
 
Again one of these stories, but nothing saying what the actual context was.

Someone said a naughty word, big deal. Did they direct it at someone or use it to describe someone?
 
Those articles refer to him being in a "PR meeting about sensitive words".

Surely if the meeting was to discuss sensitive words that may be broadcast, then surely that would have come up during the discussion. The second "offense" was a meeting with HR regarding the first "offense", so how could it not have come up as part of that!?

I'm with Dis on this one, sounds like the daily dose of PC nonsense we get subjected to.
 
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