Apple exec to leave company after making ill-advised comments in TikTok video

[midian182]

Facepalm: If you're an executive at a high-profile company, say, vice president of procurement for Apple, making a comment about "big-breasted women" while being filmed for a TikTok video is probably an unadvisable move, no matter the intentions. Just ask Tony Blevins, who will soon be the former vice president of procurement for Apple.

Bloomberg reports that Blevins made the regrettable statement in a September 5 video for Daniel Mac, part of a series where the TikTok and Instagram creator asks owners of expensive vehicles what they do for a living.

Blevins was coming out of a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, which can be bought for between $300,000 and $500,000, at a Pebble Beach, California, car show when Mac asked about his occupation. "I have rich cars, play golf, and fondle big-breasted women, but I take weekends and major holidays off," Blevins said, adding that he also had a hell of a dental plan.

@itsdanielmac Quite the occupation this man has ✍️ #mercedesbenz #supercarstiktok #slr #car ♬ original sound - DANIEL MAC

It appears that Blevins was trying to repeat a quote from the 1981 movie "Arthur," staring the late, great Dudley Moore (top). The actual line is: "I race cars, play tennis and fondle women, but I have weekends off and I am my own boss." Blevins appears to have included the big-breasted part himself, inadvertently adding another nail to the coffin of his 22-year Apple career.

Apple prides itself on being a company with values that include workforce diversity and female empowerment, so this sort of language from one of its execs is unlikely to make Tim Cook chuckle.

Some members of Apple's operations and procurement teams reported the video to the human resources department. Following an internal investigation, Blevins' team, which, according to Bloomberg, included about half a dozen direct reports and several hundred employees, was taken away from him. Apple has now confirmed he is leaving the company.

"I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely apologize to anyone who was offended by my mistaken attempt at humor," Blevins' said.

Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams was reportedly the one who decided the so-called "Blevinator" should leave Apple. The COO will now take over his old team.

According to a 2020 profile by the Wall Street Journal, Blevins' job was to get the best possible deals from Apple's parts suppliers. He'll likely be a significant loss to the company, but Cupertino must believe the potential damage to its image if he stayed would be worse.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/96158-apple-exec-leave-company-after-making-ill-advised.html

 

[Sean T]

Cancel Culture at it's best. This world is going to suck in the next few years when we all have to walk around without talking because we just might offend someone else. Sad times....

 

[terzaerian]

Never has a single story so fully encapsulated pretty much every aspect of why Apple is a company worthy only of contempt.

 

[takaozo]

That lady laugh it's just crazy.

 

[m4a4]

...That's it? Trying to quote something in attempts to be funny? And people "care" that much that he's being ousted?

Ooof, how sad a culture we're in to see this as anything else other than a joke. And hilarious that even Apple (in it's own bubble) would bow to the manufactured outrage...

 

[fps4ever]

Social media outrage strikes again...sad

 

[Lionvibez]

Lol what a stupid way to end a 22 year career. lol he likes women with big boobs so do the rest of us man this world is softer than charmin

 

[Skjorn]

2 decades of service brought to end by a joking statement made at a car show.
Not because he messed up within the company but because he made a boobs joke.
Boobs

Tim Cook prob steaming in that turtle neck.

 

[terzaerian]

...That's it? Trying to quote something in attempts to be funny? And people "care" that much that he's being ousted?

Ooof, how sad a culture we're in to see this as anything else other than a joke. And hilarious that even Apple (in it's own bubble) would bow to the manufactured outrage...

Like I said, just everything about it is just peak Apple clown world.

I definitely feel he deserves to be ousted, but not because of the comment, tactless or not. He's flaunting, on the most God-awful social platform that has been devised, Tik-Tok, this car that costs more than most people's houses, basically gloating about the wealth he's amassed helping sell the same shitty overpriced slabphone to people for the past couple decades in the midst of the worst economic crisis in this country since the Great Depression. The utter hubris is just ****ing astounding.

Apple didn't mind that part, even though it was the actual egregious and disgusting part, though, what they minded was the part of the comment that rose to the level of tactless at worst, and intend to collect ESG asspats for it. There is just no bottom to sink to with this company.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Social media really can't decide, on the one hand guys like big breasts is literally Poe's law, on the other hand strutting around with giant fake breasts is "stunning and brave".

I hate social media.

 

[mctommy]

Like I said, just everything about it is just peak Apple clown world.

I definitely feel he deserves to be ousted, but not because of the comment, tactless or not. He's flaunting, on the most God-awful social platform that has been devised, Tik-Tok, this car that costs more than most people's houses, basically gloating about the wealth he's amassed helping sell the same shitty overpriced slabphone to people for the past couple decades in the midst of the worst economic crisis in this country since the Great Depression. The utter hubris is just ****ing astounding.

Apple didn't mind that part, even though it was the actual egregious and disgusting part, though, what they minded was the part of the comment that rose to the level of tactless at worst, and intend to collect ESG asspats for it. There is just no bottom to sink to with this company.

This. At my old job, the head of procurement (highest in that chain of command reporting to CFO) was driving around a 2002 RAV4 or a newer 3-series back in 2014. Company was one of the big wireless and he made 7-figures but never flaunted the money like this guy.

 

[Avro Arrow]

This is a good thing because it's not like he needed his career to continue. He should have retired over a decade ago. Once money is no longer an issue, the most valuable commodity is time. Anyone who works longer than they have to instead of enjoying life on easy street is patently insane.

Besides, once you have enough to retire comfortably, you should do so because you no longer need that job but I guarantee you that somebody else does. At the end of life, most people's biggest regret is not spending more time with their loved ones and it's usually because they worked for far longer than they had to.

 

[umbala]

Cancel Culture at it's best. This world is going to suck in the next few years when we all have to walk around without talking because we just might offend someone else. Sad times....

I love how people throw around buzz words like "woke" and "cancel culture" to describe anything they don't like or disagree with. Yes, it's "sad times" for you because it's no longer acceptable to demean women, make sexist, racist, homophobic, etc. comments at will, with no consequences. People in their 60's and 70's miss the good old days when women's place was only in the kitchen and the bedroom. When you work for a Fortune 10 company and make millions of dollars maybe you should not spout random nonsense at anyone who comes up to you?

 

[R00sT3R]

I love how people throw around buzz words like "woke" and "cancel culture" to describe anything they don't like or disagree with. Yes, it's "sad times" for you because it's no longer acceptable to demean women, make sexist, racist, homophobic, etc. comments at will, with no consequences. People in their 60's and 70's miss the good old days when women's place was only in the kitchen and the bedroom. When you work for a Fortune 10 company and make millions of dollars maybe you should not spout random nonsense at anyone who comes up to you?

When you're in your 60s & 70's, all alone, surrounded by half a dozen cats, crying yourself to sleep, wondering why no one ever tried to make a move on you...remember this woke nonsense you posted once upon a time.

 

[PEnnn]

Tsk tsk... those who made a president out of a slum-lord billionaire who grabbed dozens of women by the you-know-what .....are upset!!

Over what? An imbecile who works for a major company, and who should have known better, losing his job for being an over-paid, loud-mouthed pig!!

American right-wing culture at its finest.

 

[psycros]

Tsk tsk... those who made a president out of a slum-lord billionaire who grabbed dozens of women by the you-know-what .....are upset!!

Over what? An imbecile who works for a major company, and who should have known better, losing his job for being an over-paid, loud-mouthed pig!!

American right-wing culture at its finest.

What's right wing about it? Is Anthony Weiner right wing? Bill Clinton? Almost every sex offender and pedo in politics is a liberal.

 

[terzaerian]

What's right wing about it? Is Anthony Weiner right wing? Bill Clinton? Almost every sex offender and pedo in politics is a liberal.

Silly goose, it's not about actually caring about or respecting women, it's about being seen to look like you do.

 

[pyro226]

This is a good thing because it's not like he needed his career to continue. He should have retired over a decade ago. Once money is no longer an issue, the most valuable commodity is time. Anyone who works longer than they have to instead of enjoying life on easy street is patently insane.

Besides, once you have enough to retire comfortably, you should do so because you no longer need that job but I guarantee you that somebody else does. At the end of life, most people's biggest regret is not spending more time with their loved ones and it's usually because they worked for far longer than they had to.

Ageist much? If that's what he wants to do, it's his right to. People have different reasons for working. For some, it's their social network. He might like seeing his wealth grow. Perhaps he wants more to pass onto children / grandchildren. For others it's the power, status, and upkeep of lifestyle.

As for giving the job to someone else, you're kidding yourself if you think that job is going to someone that actually "needs" it. It'll be going to someone that is already being paid well above their needs at their current job.

 

[Endymio]

Yes, it's "sad times" for you because it's no longer acceptable to demean women

Please explain how his remarks "demeaned" women. Except, perhaps, for those unsatisfied with their own breast size.

 

[Stingy McDuck]

The crystal generation will shatter to pieces, unable to cope with reality and a society that doesn't bend to it's every demand.

 

[Avro Arrow]

Ageist much? If that's what he wants to do, it's his right to. People have different reasons for working. For some, it's their social network. He might like seeing his wealth grow. Perhaps he wants more to pass onto children / grandchildren. For others it's the power, status, and upkeep of lifestyle.

As for giving the job to someone else, you're kidding yourself if you think that job is going to someone that actually "needs" it. It'll be going to someone that is already being paid well above their needs at their current job.

Right, and short-sighted attitudes like yours are why wealth is concentrated at the very top 0.1% of the population. THIS is how it happens. People amass far more wealth than they'd ever need and that money is no longer in the economy which causes the economy to falter.

The existence of billionaires is not a symptom of a healthy economy, it's a symptom of a failing one. Clearly you don't understand that because your emotional response isn't one that comes from someone who has a clue.

 

[Neatfeatguy]

Cancel Culture at it's best. This world is going to suck in the next few years when we all have to walk around without talking because we just might offend someone else. Sad times....

Clearly you offended someone (see below) simply by making a statement. Instead of someone trying to rationalize what you said, they quickly jump to a conclusion that you insinuated that you find it "acceptable to demean women, make sexist, racist, homophobic, etc. comments at will, with no consequences."

I love how people throw around buzz words like "woke" and "cancel culture" to describe anything they don't like or disagree with. Yes, it's "sad times" for you because it's no longer acceptable to demean women, make sexist, racist, homophobic, etc. comments at will, with no consequences. People in their 60's and 70's miss the good old days when women's place was only in the kitchen and the bedroom. When you work for a Fortune 10 company and make millions of dollars maybe you should not spout random nonsense at anyone who comes up to you?

 

[waclark]

Never has a single story so fully encapsulated pretty much every aspect of why Apple is a company worthy only of contempt.

Nice way to broad-brush an entire company because of the words of one man.

 

[terzaerian]

Nice way to broad-brush an entire company because of the words of one man.

I broad-brushed them because of what Apple Inc. failed to condemn (the hedonistic, vain flaunting of wealth by this former exec), and what they did choose to condemn (a cringy misquote of a 1980s film). It's broad-brushing to condemn a company based on the actions a company takes, now? If you were any farther up Tim Cook you'd be coming out of his mouth.

 

[passwordistaco]

2 decades of service brought to end by a joking statement made at a car show.
Not because he messed up within the company but because he made a boobs joke.
Boobs

Tim Cook prob steaming in that turtle neck.

Tim Cook doesn't care about boobs.