OFFENSIVE TO WHOM?

The big media story in Chicago this week is a memo that Lee Abrams, the Tribune Company’s Chief Innovation Officer, e-mailed companywide. The memo contained what people felt was offensive content. Employees went wild, filed complaints and even “ratted on themselves” worldwide in a story written by Tribune media writer Phil Rosenthal, first published online on the Tribune’s “Breaking News” page. The print edition the next day also contained the story.

Rosenthal reported,” Abrams sends notes to staff each week encouraging them to reinvent the media business and not be chained to convention. The memos are generally an impressionistic pastiche of ideas, observations and links to outside sources.”


The memo contained links to video newscast parodies from theonion.com. Rosenthal wrote that one section of the memo was a panel discussion of the need for educators to accept that “students don’t give a (expletive).” Another was a fake report on the crash of a bus full of reality-show contestants “spilling more than 2,000 pounds of slut” on the highway. The Onion’s bus crash video included women grinding against each other and kissing. It concluded with the fake anchor urging the fake correspondent on the scene to “stay safe out there, and don’t (have sex with) any of those sluts.”


The Onion is a satirical, sarcastic newspaper that publishes outlandish fake stories. I published an Onion-like story myself on this blog on April 20th. (The Drinking of Water Banned In Chicago) Since the Tribune took over the ad sales, publishing and distribution this past summer of the Onion’s print edition in Chicago, it is not that outlandish that a Tribune executive in charge of innovation would reference the publication.


One might say that because I have worked with Jerry Springer and Mancow Muller, I am jaded and it takes a lot to offend me. That is not true. I am offended by anti-Semitism, racism, pedophilia and many other subjects. But a memo with some boobs and foul language? Who cares?


Well Chicago Tribune Editor, Gerould Kern cares and said, “I thought it was offensive and I thought it was completely inappropriate to be sent out in a workplace setting to everyone in this company. We’ve had some employees complain as well, and I took it to HR.”


In a recently filed lawsuit in Oregon, waitress Jessica Webber, claimed she was forced to quit her job at the Markum Inn because it was a hostile work environment. The details? In a “practice run” for future bachelorette parties, the male owner of the restaurant allegedly solicited for sexual advice, gave lap dances to employees, removed his underwear, asked women to rub lotion on his penis and play “ring-toss” on his naked organ.


Now that is offensive. But a memo about sluts? Big deal! Well, it was a big enough deal to the Tribune Company because Abrams has been suspended indefinitely without pay. Without a salary, how will he pay for his onions?