Apple: Officially Humourless Hypocrites
Mikey 12 comments
I find it strange that, while Bill Gates is busy with the noble pursuit of educating children and developing affordable tools to fight malaria, Apple seem to be more interested in securing their reputation as a horde of humourless control Nazis.
Remember those where they poked fun at PC's? They were based mostly on issues experienced by Windows users of yesteryear, and could almost be viewed as technical propaganda. Despite that, and being a Windows user, I found those adverts hilariously funny. The powers that be at Microsoft probably thought the same, or at least you could derive such a conclusion from that fact that they never sent Apple any cease-and-desist orders.
Now let's take a look at this event where USA talk show host Ellen was forced to apologise to Apple on air after she broadcast a funny little sketch which made fun of the iPhone's usability. Apple apparently didn't like that one bit.
Here's the video and apology.
In her own words:
"I thought it was funny. A bunch of people thought it was funny. You know who didn't think it was funny? The people at Apple didn't think it was so funny. They thought that I made it look like it's hard to use, and I just want to say that I'm sorry if I made it look like the iPhone is hard to use. It's not hard to use."
The last time I checked parody and satire aren't things anybody should have to apologise for, even if it's Apple doing the demanding. That aside, how is it Apple are happy to make fun of Microsoft but when somebody makes fun of them they lose their sense of humour?
Update: I got a call from Steve Jobs a few moments ago, and I just wanted to say on a matter completely unrelated to what he screamed at me we discussed, that I would like to take back any negative comments I made about Apple during this post. I would also like to add that I wholeheartedly support Apple and their dictatorial ethical developer agreements and I also back their decision to not support Flash. There, did I get it right, Steve?
Marvin the Martian
Thursday 6th May 2010 | 02:44 PMAbsolutely ridiculous. While apple is not the first company to take action of this nature... it seems like many corporation, Apple especially, believe that they can pressure anyone into only making positive reviews. The fact is, Apple, like many other companies produces products that not everyone is going to like.
The iPad for instance, sucks big hairy donkey balls. It doesn't multitask, attaching any peripheral device requires a ridiculous dongle - which you have to pay extra for, you can't tether it to a mobile phone and only works on restricted networks...
OK Steve, want to talk about my feedback... email me at . In the meantime, leave Mikey alone.
Ethical
Thursday 6th May 2010 | 03:28 PMI choked so badly when I read Mark's comment that Apple was at the top of the food chain. I mean, I guess if your network of friends/family/media based advertising tells you that some fruit is going to come and fucking eat you and your likely retarded pets that you are also dumb and stupid enough believe it.
I swear watching Apple do business these days is almost comedic. I just picture Steve Jobs throwing a chair through a window every time somebody says something bad about apple :-)
Gina
Thursday 6th May 2010 | 11:20 PMThat skit from Ellen is hilarious.
With all the sneakiness in advertising and all the sell outs, it could very well have been just another way of getting Apple's name and product out. I mean, think about it. Ellen didn't only mention the iPhone, she also went on to say how much she "loved" the iPad, etc., which she didn't have to do, did she? No she didn't.
She could have just stopped at the particular item she parodied, it wasn't necessary to mention all of their other products and how much you love them!
I love that she played it a SECOND time in order to show how "bad" she made Apple look. Was that necessary? Couldn't she have just mentioned the fake add she did instead of rerunning it in its entirety? Isn't all over the internet by now? Let me go look.............. Why, yes! Yes it is!
I'm gonna watch that one a LOT! HAHAHAHAAAAA!
Gina
Thursday 6th May 2010 | 11:25 PMp.s. Ellen is an actress, after all. And a darn good one. I'm starting to doubt that she's gay. :-D
"Momma said, believe half of whatcha see, son, and none of whatcha hear."
Trent Greguhn
Friday 7th May 2010 | 03:58 AMSay what you want about Windows, Bill Gates is far more tolerable and more charitable than Steve Jobs who-- over subsequent years-- is incresaingly petty, taking cheap shots at anyone that doesn't agree with him and Apple. I will never forget the smug look he had when revealing the iPad. To my knowledge no one I know has even been remotely interested in having one.
Gina
Friday 7th May 2010 | 01:54 PMAdvertising is so sneaky. Apparently studies have been done and it was discovered that when a person hates an advertisement the more likely they are to buy the product. This is Jobs' schtick: Be the exact opposite of Bill Gates. It makes Jobs stand out and he needs to stand out -- he's so skinny.
Did I say that out loud?
In this monopoly, your only option is to either be a Linux or to schtick out. It's all about contrast. The meaner Jobs "appears", the more he schticks out, the more he schticks out, the more people notice; the more people notice, the more products he sells. It's reverse psychology.
(Mommy? Can I have my lollipop back now, pwease?)
aries
Friday 7th May 2010 | 04:18 PMI still don't know a single person with an iPad... aren't they for menstrual iPhones anyway???
popejoan
Saturday 8th May 2010 | 04:07 AMWith Gates net worth at 55million and Jobs net worth at 5.5 million, Gates still has a lot more money he can afford to give away (although he benefits with tax deductions). Also it costs more to produce the technology that Jobs is marketing compared to the software that Gates is marketing. Gates has created a continuous upgrade cycle with his consumers with every new windows update having them at his mercy with their next upgrade. Jobs doesn't have such a broad market which he can continually target. Maybe Jobs needs to get a pie in the face too but youre comparing apples to oranges here. I agree that practicing philanthropy is in their best interests.
Trent Greguhn
Saturday 8th May 2010 | 04:41 AM...in response to this comment by popejoan. What about the iPods? How many generations of iPods have there been that have been toted about like they were absolutely necessary to stay on top of the hipster hills?
I mean hell, the iPhone is going to be in its 4th generation here this year meaning bigger and better in every area. They make you feel inferior by not having the most up to date item they have to offer, and they won't let you upgrade their PC's or laptops, and good luck trying to get the battery out of any iPod or iPhone.
And I've been working with Windows XP for how long now?
Mark
Thursday 6th May 2010 | 02:43 PMNo shit. really? Lame. It's more of a pisstake at her own expense anyway. Why is Apple being so grumpy when they are at the top of the food chain.