

Founder in pursuit of press takes basket of sex toys, oysters, booze to reporter - Geekette
http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Tech-companies-haven-t-gotten-past-sexism-1-0-5845691.php

======
spb
> He said he was sorry I felt uncomfortable with his choice of swag, but also
> appeared genuinely surprised at my discomfort. He didn’t want to offend me,
> but also didn’t understand why I would be offended in the first place.
> Francis didn’t seem to grasp that sex — or a woman’s sexuality — isn’t a
> topic appropriate for a professional setting.

Is he in 9th grade or something? This sounds like a basket Vincent Adultman
would put together: "Expensive food, a alcohol, sexy toys... grownup stuff!
Because I'm a grownup, giving a present to a grownup."

------
DanBC
It is fucking baffling how anyone could think this was not a terrible idea,
never mind a good idea.

There's probably room for a Q&A site IsThisAStupidIdea.com where you post
something you're going to do ("I'm going to put together a press pack - this
will include a bottle of alcohol, lube, and sex toys" and people can rate the
idea for terribleness).

~~~
waterlesscloud
The last few paragraphs kind of soften it a bit. The items were all items
users recommended on his app, and each had a pic of the recommendation
attached. The founder also said he'd sent the same items to other journalists,
male and female, and just wanted to send items that would "stand out".

It's still an awful choice, but if you squint real hard you can see how a
clueless person could get there.

------
Geekette
When I started reading, I assumed it a sex toy company and was thinking this
is one case where _literature_ rather than samples would have been better
(unless the reporter actually specialized in reviewing such products). ...Only
to read on and see it was a Q&A site?

It would also be interesting to know whether the reporter was able to verify
the founder's claim that he sent the same basket to other male and female
journalists.

