I don't think he expected that to go viral.
Self Inflicted
Apple's c-suite is down a man after its vice president of procurement Tony Blevins left the company — after sexual remarks he made in a TikTok video went viral.
"Tony is leaving Apple," an Apple spokesperson tersely told CNBC on Thursday, confirming the exit.
The video in question shows Blevins at a car show, reclined in his half a million dollar supercar and wearing a Union Jack shirt under a pale turquoise suit. He’s approached by the cameraman, a car enthusiast, who asks what he does for a living. The only thing more questionable than his outfit? His response.
"I race cars, play golf and fondle big-breasted women. But I take weekends and major holidays off," Blevins crassly joked. "Also, if you're interested, I have a hell of a dental plan."
Behind the Scenes
The clip has garnered hundreds of thousands of likes across social media, which presumably is how it came to Apple’s attention.
Blevins’ remark appears to be a misquote of a line in the 1981 romcom "Arthur," which was originally spoken by the movie’s eponymous dirtbag protagonist as "I race cars, play tennis, and fondle women."
As bad and stupid as the remark was, it's striking how quickly Blevins was forced out, given his 22 year tenure at the company. It may be relevant to note that Apple has come under fire this summer after the company was accused of shrugging off the testimonies of 15 female employees who had made accusations of sexual harassment.
Whether Blevins himself was implicated in any of those is unknown. Either way, it sounds like Apple has a seriously misogynistic and toxic workplace culture, and now it's trying to save face. If that's what an Apple executive is willing to say on camera, what are they willing to do in private?
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