2 ms·
This just feels like an save-face operation. If these fellas want to show their commitment to changing it will require two things in my opinion: 1. A prolonge
by voidhorse 9y ago
This just feels like an save-face operation.
If these fellas want to show their commitment to changing it will require two things in my opinion:
1. A prolonged period of time without further incident.
2. Perhaps some dedicated effort to supporting, monetarily or otherwise, the elimination of this sort of behavior at the structural level? Start a campaign against sexism/harassment or something? Though to make it not appear disingenuous they ought to do so in a fake name--that's the problem when you're outed as a manipulator in a position of power, literally every subsequent move you make reads like manipulation. The McClure case as described in the NYT article wasn't too extreme and it is possible that some of it was misunderstanding and the he is being honest--it sounds like, for instance, 500 could have decided to end their conversations with Kunst for reasons beyond the message, but we'll never know. For instance I cannot help but feel the majority of this piece is McClure looking out for McClure and not giving a shit about actually being sorry. Of course I don't know that, but trust is difficult to regain.
Granted, McClure's fuck up does jive with the context he describes here, but it just becomes very difficult to believe any of these apology letters are genuine until some time has passed in which that is shown to be the case.
- briandear 9y agoDoes a campaign really accomplish anything? Campaigns just seem like a lot of virtue signaling without any actual substance. How about organizations simply deal with the problem? When there is a complaint, investigate it. If it’s legitimate, discipline the perpetrator. If it’s an unfounded or malicious claim, discipline the accuser. It’s interesting how SV makes the news for this but sexual harassment/sleeping to the top is standard operating procedure in Hollywood – the VC world makes The NY Times while the everyday stuff that happens in Hollywood would make your skin crawl. While the SV problem exists, I can’t help but feel there is some agenda happening as other power-centric industries don’t seem to get the ink that SV does.
- greglindahl 9y agoA campaign to change company HR policies can actually accomplish something. HR policies set expectations. All companies have a policy against dating within the chain of command. I bet that in the future, a lot of companies are also going to have language about not starting relationships with suppliers, customers, investors, etc. Given all of the mess with conferences, that could use a little policy, too...