The Apple CEO has launched a jab at rehashing a joke from the movie. Not everyone agrees

He saved the company hundreds of millions of dollars and kept the supply chain running. Years of work were written off by a single joke posted on TikTok. Apple employees are divided over firing an executive.

Apple fired Vice President of Purchasing Tony Blevins for a joke posted on TikTok. In September, at the auto show, Blevins responds to Daniel Mack, who asks people in expensive and luxury cars how they make a living. Blevins said, “I race cars, I play golf, and I fuck women with big breasts. But I take weekends and holidays major.” This was a reference to the 1981 comedy Arthur, in which Dudley Moore made a similar remark when asked what he does for a living. In the movie, Blevins doesn’t say he works for Apple or give his name, and his amusing wife is also present in the video.

“Mr. Blevins, who grew up in the rural South,” apparently allowed himself too much in a joking note on TikTok, which ended his career at Apple.

After the company brought attention to the video, an internal investigation was launched and Blevins was suspended as head of his team. An investigation found that his comments angered some employees, who said Blevins’ remarks contradicted Apple’s commitment to “the empowerment and representation of women.” “Tony is leaving Apple,” a company spokesperson said. In an interview with Bloomberg, Blevins apologized to “anyone who was offended by my misguided attempt at a prank.”

Blevins’ role at Apple was to negotiate deals with partners and suppliers. During the construction of Apple Park, Blevins reportedly saved the company hundreds of millions. His negotiating skills as a senior executive at Apple helped the tech giant build and maintain a strong supply chain. Apple is strict about what employees post on social media. The social media policy states, “We want you to be yourself, but also respect posts, tweets, and other online media.”

Some employees were surprised by Apple’s decision. Blevins was fired without severance pay after he refused to resign. However, there were quite a few people in the company who supported the decision. People who have worked with him say he was not sexist or unprofessional. They add that he sometimes made jokes to dispel the heated atmosphere.

Apple takes its corporate values ​​around integration very seriously, especially when it comes to potential leaders and managers, said Chris Deaver, Apple’s former chief human resources officer who left in 2019. He said firing Mr Blevins was the right decision. “Leaders need to embody Apple’s principles,” Dever said in an interview. Sam Blevins adds that his firing was a mistake – 20 seconds writing off more than 20 years of his career and dedication to Apple.

As The Wall Street Journal describes the case: “Growing up in the rural South, Mr. Blevins has always been extraordinarily apt to Cupertino, California, the halls of America’s most valuable corporation.”And the But Apple’s leadership embraced him for his extraordinary skill as a negotiator.”