A top Apple Inc. senior executive is leaving after he turned up in a TikTok video making an off-color joke that he fondles “big-breasted women” for a living.
Mark Gurman for Bloomberg News:
In the video, published on Sept. 5, Apple’s Tony Blevins was approached by TikTok and Instagram creator Daniel Mac as part of a series where he asks owners of expensive cars their occupations. The executive was stopped by Mac while parking a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, an out-of-production sports car that fetches hundreds of thousands of dollars.
When asked what he does for a living, Blevins said, “I have rich cars, play golf and fondle big-breasted women, but I take weekends and major holidays off.” He also touted that he has a “hell of a dental plan.”
In reality, Blevins is Apple’s vice president of procurement and is in charge of striking deals with suppliers and partners. He recently worked on the company’s satellite agreement with Globalstar Inc., led negotiations over cellular modems with Qualcomm Inc. and Intel Corp., and has been in charge of driving down the costs of many critical parts that go into Apple’s mobile devices.
Blevins, a 22-year veteran of Apple, confirmed the incident to Bloomberg, saying the encounter took place on Aug. 18. “I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely apologize to anyone who was offended by my mistaken attempt at humor,” he said.
MacDailyNews Take: Yeah, that’s worth Apple losing 22 years of high-level dealmaking experience (dripping sarcasm).
Someday, someway, the pendulum will swing back to sanity.
We’re betting Blevins could live several lifetimes on what he’s already made from, and been granted by, Apple. So, enjoy your retirement, Tony! (We bet he will!)
Please help support MacDailyNews. Click or tap here to support our independent tech blog. Thank you!
Shop The Apple Store at Amazon.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
It was an attempt at a humorous comment.
In rational times, the guy would say exactly that, maybe apologize if he felt the need, and that’d be that. Not in these fscking cockeyed times.
As everyone already knows: Tim Cook isn’t a man, he’s a mouse.
To the fsking idiot is at Apple who pushed Blevins out over this innocuous trifle, I hope you quickly get what’s coming to you many times over.
The reason for the stock slide at Apple is the Termination of Tony Blevins. This management gaff has put the spotlight on Apple’s incompetent leadership. Apple fired its best leader because he told a joke. WTF we’re they thinking? Have they forgotten that Hitler executed Rommel? Apple has bad management.
Wow. That gets you fired these days? The snowflake era is a cancer.
Well, Hell, if he would have said I perform in Drag for grade-schoolers, he would have been given more stock and a raise. Someone needs to ask Timmy Boy if he approves of that “Progress”
I sympathize with Blevins. I like breasts of all sizes.
But cancel culture is people voting with their money. The only way to fight it is for douchebag companies and stockholders to be willing to risk losing some money.
So… hold your breath. Anyway, it’s hardly the first time Apple censored.
applecynic, you should take your own advice, and hold your breath
Air enters and leaves my nose, and I speak with my mouth.
Air enters you mouth and you speak and exhale through your ass.
I’m offended that someone found his comment offensive. Stop being so sensitive, folks. Can’t we all benefit from a little lightheartedness and laughter?
He was (generally) saying a humorous quote from the movie Arthur. Unfortunately, no one remembers or saw the movies we old dudes like to quote, so, unless we’re at a school reunion with our peers, we should just talk about the weather. 🙂
Years ago a coworker recounted a story of when he met a beautiful tourist — He said to her, “Where are you from?” She said, “I’m from Germany.” He said, “I love Germany. My favorite TV show is “Hogan’s Heroes!” She asked, “What’s that? He said, “Oh, it’s a TV comedy about some American POWs in a German POW camp — the Americans are smart and the German commandant is an idiot” . . . At that moment he could see questions forming in her eyes “Nazis? — Comedy?” He realized they didn’t air “that show” in Germany . . . needless to say that was the last time he talked to her.
TIL there’s such a thing as VP of Procurement
As a conservative, and a Republican, I find it alarming that so many commenters here confuse cancel culture and accountability. His joke was inappropriate. He was a representative of and a VP in Apple. It is entirely reasonable that Apple fired him because his comment was not only unbecoming of an employee but because it rightly calls into question his ability to lead effectively.
Tony Blevins’ remark is drawn from a 1981 film Arthur which is about a drunken millionaire heir, Arthur Bach, who’s on the brink of an arranged marriage to a wealthy heiress, but who falls in love with a working-class girl instead. Dudley Moore plays Arthur Bach.
One of the most famous lines of dialogue from the film occurs when Arthur Bach is asked what he does for a living. He replies, “I race cars, play tennis, and fondle women, but I have weekends off – and I’m my own boss.”
“As a conservative, and a Republican, I find it alarming”
That was enough bullcrap for one day…
Ah, yes. “Live the brand”! F that!
Live YOUR life, the comp[any doesn’t own it.
Every organization has an unwritten rule: if you publicly embarrass the company, you’re out of there! Nothing wrong with the joke, but the joke being associated with Apple online got him tossed out.
Sycophants need apply!
Pretty vacant. As an executive you are a public representative of your company and its employees. Can tell you never took the risk of owning a business. Working the fryer at Mickey Ds perhaps? Would see about right.
Crosses the line.
And no, I don’t work the fryer.
It was people like you that sought to fire Gen Patton. What he said reflects in no way on his ability to lead or anything else. Apple should have gone along with the joke and moved on.
All he had to do was add the word “consensually”.
I’m glad he’s gone. For being a senior VP in a major corporation one would think that he would’ve had enough meetings and training classes to know what’s is tolerable and what isn’t. If he had any common sense he would’ve said nothing or given some bland statement. But his ego got the best of him. If he had any daughters he should be ashamed.
He’s going to claim that he was drunk and going into rehab for treatment.
MDN again shows their true colors and is a just fanboy website.