
Dell Apologizes for Hiring 'Shut Up Bitch' Moderator - chris_wot
http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2012/05/dell-mads-christensen/
======
mootothemax
From what I can tell, Dell hired a known, misogynistic and offensive comedian
called Mads Christensen to work as the event's moderator:

[http://elektronista.dk/kommentar/dresscode-blue-tie-and-
male...](http://elektronista.dk/kommentar/dresscode-blue-tie-and-male/)

Taken from the blog post:

 _[The] moderator starts to rejoice the lack of women in the room. “The IT
business is one of the last frontiers that manages to keep women out. The
quota of women to men in your business is sound and healthy” he says. “What
are you actually doing here?” he adds to the few women who are actually
present in the room._

 _...[He] finishes of by asking all (men) in the room to promise him that they
will go home and say, “shut up bitch!”._

Goodness only knows why Dell hired him as their corporate voice. Shocking.

~~~
sp332
He wasn't a "corporate voice", he was a filler between speakers.

~~~
Argorak
At a corporate event. I know PR is boring and stuff, but your fillers at
corporate events represents you, the host of the event, in the general public.
The fact that Dell didn't immediately apologize shows that they were either
quite okay with it or didn't give the issue much thought.

------
tallanvor
Dell never should have hired the guy in the first place, let alone wait this
long to apologize, but they get a few points for doing the right thing
eventually.

Unfortunately there is still a lot of misogyny in the tech industry, and
startups are no exception. It's hard to take companies seriously when they
post job advertisements asking you if you "want to bro down and crush some
code?" as Klout did.

~~~
batista
> _Dell never should have hired the guy in the first place,_

Yes. Couldn't they hire some non-funny, sensitive guy, all-too-touchy about
politically correct issues? HN is full of them!

~~~
azar1
Yeah, shouldn't everyone just lighten up?
<http://therealkatie.net/blog/2012/mar/21/lighten-up/>

~~~
wtvanhest
Dell shouldn't have hired the guy because it was 100% obvious they were going
to have to appologize for it later and women are part of their target market
(some of whom are sensitive to femist jokes).

That being said, the author of "therealkatie, lighten up" post is ridiculous
as well.

I don't make femist jokes at work because doing so signify a complete lack of
social skills on my part (same as the guy at Dell who selected the comedian).
That being said, her (realkatie's) inability to handle those jokes also
represents a complete lack of social skills.

I would guess that the guys making those jokes are probably interested in her
rather than "discriminating" against her.

~~~
ericabiz
"That being said, her (realkatie's) inability to handle those jokes also
represents a complete lack of social skills."

It never ceases to amaze me that someone can make a flip judgment about a
person (even throw them under the bus!) after spending 2 minutes reading one
single blog post that that person wrote.

You don't _know_ her. It's pretty freakin' presumptuous to say she has a
"complete lack of social skills", and reflects poorly on you.

~~~
wtvanhest
I'm judging her by her writing. If I had the opportunity to meet her I may
think differently. You are right, "complete lack of social skills" is probably
way too extreme, but she definitely lacks some social skills if she is letting
comments like she described get under her skin. People making those comments
are not coming from a position of power (even if they are managers). They are
the weak people in the chain and people with strong social skills deal with
those people and move on. It is part of life.

~~~
azar1
"People making those comments are not coming from a position of power (even if
they are managers)"

I haven't laughed this hard in a few days. Thanks for that.

~~~
wtvanhest
Glad I could help you lighten up.

------
nicholassmith
It's a shame it took an Internet outcry to get Dell to acknowledge they made a
_big_ mistake and needed to apologise. They should have known better to start
with.

------
sp332
Actual link, posted yesterday: <https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3972491>

------
Indyan
Without seeing the actual content in question it's hard to judge, but assuming
that the said comments were made in good humor, I have to ask, are they really
that offensive? If comedians are allowed to crack nigger jokes and my fat
momma jokes, then why can't they crack shut up bitch jokes? Or is this more
about where he said than what he said.

~~~
AndrewDucker
A comedian, on stage in a comedy club, can say whatever they like.

A representative of Dell, standing in front of Dell employees, should not be
telling a chunk of those employees that they are worth less because of their
gender.

~~~
rurounijones
Devil's advocate: "I am a famous comedian well known for humour type X; Dell
hired me to MC their event knowing this; which is at least tacit approval of
my routine. Otherwise they obviously wouldn't have hired me"

If you have to hire someone and tell them not to use their trademark humour
then why are you hiring them in the first place?

~~~
Deestan
Yes, that's the point. _Dell_ are the ones to blame for putting that guy on
stage, and they are getting the criticism.

MC, however despicable, just did his thing as advertised.

~~~
sp332
I don't think "Dell" deserves the blame. I think whoever booked this guy is to
blame.

~~~
anotherthrow
That would be a representative of Dell, acting on behalf of Dell, arranging
for payment to be made by Dell.

~~~
sp332
And hopefully punished or even fired by Dell, because they're not representing
Dell very well.

------
sparknlaunch12
Of course Dell apologises but people really need to get a grip. A comedian
makes jokes, often adult jokes. If you want kids jokes hire a clown.

Everyone is well aware of the technology stereotypes. If he called all the men
<insert stereotype> would Dell have to apologize?

~~~
michh
> If he called all the men <insert stereotype> would Dell have to apologize?

No, because men aren't oppressed in our society and especially our industry.

Saying stuff that contributes to an oppressive environment isn't okay, even if
you package it as a joke.

If you don't understand what I just said: congratulations, you're probably
pretty privileged.

~~~
bad_user

         men aren't oppressed in our society and 
         especially our industry
    

Are you sure about that? Calling people out and giving them a bad rep over
silly jokes sure looks like oppression to me.

Jokes have been historically used by oppressed people to express their
frustrations. Not saying it's the same thing here, but trying to ban humor,
even if it is politically incorrect, is really not OK.

The world would be a much better place if we smiled more.

~~~
michh

      Jokes have been historically used by oppressed people to express their frustrations. Not saying it's the same thing here, but trying to ban humor, even if it is politically incorrect, is really not OK.
    

Nobody is trying to ban edgy/dark humor. But there is a time and a place for
that. A corporate event is _not_ that place.

    
    
      The world would be a much better place if we smiled more.
    

<http://therealkatie.net/blog/2012/mar/21/lighten-up/>

~~~
roopeshv
would every fucking body stop linking to lighten up. it's just as
condescending to link to it every fucking time.

