Again, trying to claim there is no sexual connotation in the phrase whatsoever is absurd.
Electronic Arts senior director sacked over self admitted inappropriate comments (Read Update in OP)
- Thread starter Bundy
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OK yeah, the phrase “pull my dick out” should pretty much never cross your lips in a corporate setting. He deserved what he got.
What an utterly insipid post. Are you going to try and paint everyone who disagrees with you as some sort of intolerant, hateful person?
Get the fuck out of here with that shit.
Faux outrage is exactly what this is. The phrase is common and whilst not workplace appropriate, it's hardly worth firing someone over a well known metaphor.
It would probably be beneficial if you read the entire OP before you pass judgments. Just a thought.
Gonna go ahead and agree with those saying that firing the guy is a bridge too far. Unless it's a repeated offense (which we have no indication of), this is warning territory.
This is something you say among friends and is definitely not appropriate at work. Especially nowadays it's pretty tone deaf. But yeah, I'm not sure it's something you fire someone over.
He didn’t say it like that and, basically, there’s got to be more, because this is not a reason to get fired. It was not sexual, and some of you people here suggesting you should get fired over vulgar language, which is silly.
An inappropriate comment to make but unless this is a repeated offence he's had mentioned before that he needs to stop doing, I don't think he should have been fired for it. As others have mentioned there's nothing sexual about a 'dick-measuring contest'; it's not meant to be taken literally, it's a metaphor for having a contest on something superficial and irrelevant.
Reading the full phrasing of what he said (if that's true) that's definitely not the kind of phrase and language he should be using in his position or in this situation and if he was aware of company policy regarding this kind of behaviour he may only have himself to blame, but from an outside perspective it's still a bit harsh to me.
Reading the full phrasing of what he said (if that's true) that's definitely not the kind of phrase and language he should be using in his position or in this situation and if he was aware of company policy regarding this kind of behaviour he may only have himself to blame, but from an outside perspective it's still a bit harsh to me.
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I see two conflicting accounts of what precisely was said. One of those is clearly grounds for termination. The other is probably not.
It's interesting how you decided which of those you're going to trust and proceeded to blabber about "fake outrage".
He'll win in the High Court, they jumped to firing rather than a disciplinary process and I don't think an Irish judge will feel this warranted it.
How bad must the corporate culture be in EA though, jesus christ.
How bad must the corporate culture be in EA though, jesus christ.
I have made more than my fair share of choice analogies over the years, but I will say - as someone who works with territories all over the world - international calls have to kept very neutral, because cultural acceptance of certain norms can vary wildly from place to place.
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He's being held accountable for his actions, it has nothing to do with some absurd boogeyman you've got living rent-free in your head.
But he was talking about NOT wanting to do that.
Checkmate outragers.
Sometimes I wonder what kinds of places yall work where an executive wouldnt be canned for this behavior in a meeting?
This isn’t faux outrage.
I posted earlier and no one replied, but this kind of shit is extensively covered in company policies. 9 times out of 10 they ask you to take training and apologize. You only get fired for refusing either. Unfortunately we don’t have details on that kind of shit.
Theis wasn’t two low level IC’s talking or two mid-level managers. This was someone in a leadership position. You have to be better regardless of how common you think the phrase is. Especially when the exact same sentiments could have been expressed in a 1000 different and better ways.
I hope we get more details but I honestly think this dude didn’t want to apologize or take training and HR doesn’t brook that shit anywhere.
ah yes faux outrage. from the legal system. about a case that nobody had heard of.
it must be that and not a man failing to behave appropriately in a senior job. It is not that he was trying to harass, but as a senior member of staff your words have consequences and therefore it is reasonable that you are judged accordingly.
it must be that and not a man failing to behave appropriately in a senior job. It is not that he was trying to harass, but as a senior member of staff your words have consequences and therefore it is reasonable that you are judged accordingly.
If he just said "Hey, this is not a dick measuring contest. You two should be working together" I'd feel one way.
This dumbass got in his R-Kelly bag and put some extra on it.
“going to pull my dick out and put it on the table” next to another female colleague “to see who has the bigger dick”.
Once you start describing pulling out your dick at work it's over breh.
This dumbass got in his R-Kelly bag and put some extra on it.
“going to pull my dick out and put it on the table” next to another female colleague “to see who has the bigger dick”.
Once you start describing pulling out your dick at work it's over breh.
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What I hate most of all is the condescension of it all. Like it’s not enough that they sneer at the suggestion of this being sexual harassment. They also feel the need to imply people taking offense to this aren’t “grown up”
I wonder what the gender balance is in this thread. I really can't tell, what with all of the folks trying to pretend like this doesn't matter, or that some outside force must be forcing this to happen.
I'm guessing 50/50 mix.
I'm guessing 50/50 mix.
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I've learned that I have to remember that not everyone here works in a professional environment. Just look at any thread with lamenting most white collar jobs expecting you to wear suits.
Now me and my male colleagues share some much more colorful language, but I do so in the knowledge that they personally won't snitch. Because quite simply I shouldn't be doing it.
I certainly wouldn't dare walk into my head office or go to my female colleagues and start making dick euphanisms.
On topic though, I find it hard to not see telling a woman you don't wanna get your dick out on the table to prove whose biggest as anything but sexual harrasment. He may not be trying to sleep with her but he's literally using the claimed size of his dick to try and intimidate her.
This is should be a warning, unless the guy has prior. Sacking is disproportionate to the offence he is accused of. He’ll win if this goes to court, but EA will settle before that happens. Anyone here suggesting execs don’t speak like this probably hasn’t spent much time around any.
Because dick measuring contest is a common phrase that isn’t about anything sexual, it’s about a pointless argument about who is right.
I’ve heard a hell of a lot worse from management.
Honestly should not have been fired.
Well we really don't know if he made any other off colour remarks to other people and that this just fed into an overall perception so they got rid of him before he got in even more hot water. Also if the "dick on the table" quote is the accurate one then he went overboard. We really don't know about how he was perceived internally and we never will.
Also while I do think there was a time when execs spoke like this, those times fading. Can't speak like that these days or risk it all.
A “dick measuring contest” usually doesn’t mean anything sexual (despite it referencing dicks). A “dick measuring contest” is a pointless argument that only serves to boost one’s ego. I’d normally say we’ve gone too far if someone loses their job over using that phrase, but that’s not exactly how this situation went.
There’s a pretty big difference beteeen saying “let’s not get into a dick measuring contest” and saying “I’m going to put my dick on the table to see who’s is bigger.” I get what he’s was going for, but it just doesn’t work in the same way. The semantics kind of matter here. One of those phrases makes fun of the situation but the other kind of embraces it. Again I think I get what he was going for, but it doesn’t change the fact that the way he worded that phrase sounds way worse than simply saying “let’s not get in a dick measuring contest.” He made it way more sexual than that phrase is supposed to be, so I completely understand that he’s getting punished for it.
There’s a pretty big difference beteeen saying “let’s not get into a dick measuring contest” and saying “I’m going to put my dick on the table to see who’s is bigger.” I get what he’s was going for, but it just doesn’t work in the same way. The semantics kind of matter here. One of those phrases makes fun of the situation but the other kind of embraces it. Again I think I get what he was going for, but it doesn’t change the fact that the way he worded that phrase sounds way worse than simply saying “let’s not get in a dick measuring contest.” He made it way more sexual than that phrase is supposed to be, so I completely understand that he’s getting punished for it.
Don't be a dick at work. Don't talk about your dick at work. Either of these would have saved him. For the people whining, take the lesson in life and move on.
I'm management in retail head office for a FTSE traded company and such colloquialisms are commonplace. Here in the UK (and by proxy Ireland) it's a relatively standard phrase with little (if any) sexual connotations.
It was sexual enough for the one who filed the complaint. If I was told to imagine my boss' dick in anyway, I'd feel uncomfortable.
No wonder there's so few women working in the industry when even in the "leftist bubble" of Era, there's a few hundred posters who are unable to understand why this language in the workplace would make women feel unwelcome.
I've heard women say it. If anything at my workplace women are more likely to make jokes like that. All of my bosses are women (office job)
This seems to be what's being disputed between the two involved.
Agreed, but there may be more going on here. Executives who say this stuff say it as a matter of habit, and I wouldn't be surprised if previous reports to HR are in play. This type of behavior is rarely isolated.
Do you often talk about getting your cock out to multiple women at work?
Bit weird.
“Pull my dick out” would do it. Seems like an overreaction on the surface, but that phrase has a lot more stink on it than mentioning the contest on its own. Plus, you always, ALWAYS have to be aware of your audience and their sensitivity to that stuff. I can be blue with some coworkers and remain utterly professional with the rest because I took the time to gauge their personalities.
It's not what I'd want anyway, it's a common saying that doesn't mean anything sexual but in this day and age people can and will take things the wrong way. Just something we have to deal with. Not the language to be using in a professional call but should not be dealt with as a sexist thing or sexual thing.