Today’s lesson: Don’t make vulgar comments while a camera is rolling, even if you’re just quoting a line from the movie.
Former Apple purchasing vice president Tony Blevins has quit the tech giant after a TikTok video showed him making a quirky comment about women at a car show.
Blevins can be seen getting out of an expensive Mercedes. He was asked what he does for a living by Daniel Mac, who for some reason posts videos of people being asked questions as they get out of expensive cars.
“I race cars, I play golf and I caress busty women. But I take weekends and major holidays off,” Blevins replies.
The answer is apparently a one-line riff from the 1981 movie “Arthur,” in which Dudley Moore plays a pampered, drunken millionaire.
Asked in the film what he does for a living, Arthur replies: “I race cars, I play tennis, I caress women, but I have weekends off and I’m my own. boss.”
Blevins’ video has been viewed more than 1.3 million times.
His role at Apple was to negotiate with suppliers for the parts and components that Apple uses to manufacture its gadgets.
There are two takeaways here.
One: Quoting a movie, even a comedy that purports to be funny, won’t provide coverage if what you say might be deemed offensive.
Two: For God’s sake, when you have a camera pointed at you, watch what you say.
Social media is a hostile place for offhand and off-the-cuff remarks. Even the most silly and ironic comment can be seen (and seen, and seen) as inappropriate.
Apple was quick to show Blevins the door.
