Getting your iPod stolen sucks. Talking about getting your iPod stolen in The New York Times and then getting fired sucks more. In a March 30 story about iPod thieves, ELLIOT ARONOW, an editorial assistant at The Fader magazine, which is owned by marketing company Cornerstone Promotions, said, "All the value was really in the music. The thing itself was just a stupid device." Shortly thereafter, he found himself out of a job.
While Fader publisher ANDY COHN issued a terse "no comment on anything having to do with Elliot's dismissal," I'd heard from several sources, including former and current employees of the company, that Aronow, who was identified as a Fader employee in the Times story, was canned because of the perceived negative comment about an Apple product—Apple is a Cornerstone client. While one source said that an Apple rep had complained to The Fader, prompting the firing, Apple spokesperson STEVE DOWLING said, "We don't know anything about it."
Aronow, who says he is still on good terms with his former employer, wouldn't talk about why he was fired but did speak to me about the quote he gave to Times writer CAMPBELL ROBERTSON. He said he didn't use the word stupid and wants a retraction.
"It's a really terrible situation, and I feel awful for the guy," said Robertson, "but I heard him say it. It's in my notes, and I can't run a retraction if he did actually say it." Robertson didn't think the remark cast the Apple product in a negative light. "To my ears, this was a guy saying that he really loved his iPod and that he loved it for what it did, not because it's an expensive piece of plastic." Aronow loves his iPod so much, he bought a new one the next day.
http://villagevoice.com/nyclife/0517,flylife,63396,15.html
― Ui, Wednesday, 27 April 2005 20:40 (twenty years ago)
new york is an at-will state, too. : (
― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 20:45 (twenty years ago)
Behind the scenes, ANDY COHN from Cornerstone was in a meeting with GM at the time, it was brought up by one of the GM people, he felt embarassed, and immediately after leaving the meeting, went to the Fader offices and fired Elliot.
― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 20:54 (twenty years ago)
The victim willingly appropriated the cred of ultrahip Corp America when he identified himself as a supercool, cutting-edge, culturally in-the-know Fader employee.
Working for The Man means thinking about more than your own personal ego-grat when being interviewed for attribution by the paper of record.
― rogermexico (rogermexico), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 21:05 (twenty years ago)
wow. think different, steve jobs.Based on Jay Watts III's account (which is consistent with other accounts in circulation), there's no direct connection between Apple and the firing -- sometimes The Man makes pre-emptive strikes. Especially when potential clients far less progressive than Apple intimate that He may not be able to manage His staff.
― rogermexico (rogermexico), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 21:12 (twenty years ago)
oh, and pleased to meet you hstencil. based on our handles, it was inevitable that our paths would cross...
― rogermexico (rogermexico), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 21:13 (twenty years ago)
direct connection = "i'm rich, bitch!"
at least in his next job interview, this will be better than making up some lie to paper over getting fired for incompetence or "personality issues" or somesuch.
nice to meet you too, roger! and welcome!
― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 21:17 (twenty years ago)
direct connection = "i'm rich, bitch!"or more to the point, I buy pages in your book, bitch. fully agreed, which is why I had to weasel with that "direct"...
― rogermexico (rogermexico), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 21:29 (twenty years ago)