Safeway exec's disgusting Obama joke backfires, brings apology

[n2doc]

Last edited Wed May 23, 2012, 08:53 PM - Edit history (1)

Andrew S. Ross
Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Safeway has enough on its plate - market share under siege, tough union negotiations, rumors of a takeover - without a senior executive putting his foot halfway down his throat, at its annual shareholders' meeting no less.

Vice President and General Counsel Robert Gordon thought he was cracking wise with a lame joke involving the Secret Service, President Obama and two Arkansas razorback hogs deemed an "excellent trade" for Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco. You can hear the joke here.

Among the less-than-laugh-out-loud-responses was a letter from members of the Bay Area congressional delegation, led by Rep. George Miller, D-Martinez, whose district includes the Pleasanton company. It demanded an apology to Pelosi and Clinton, among other "corrective steps," for the "shocking lack of respect, not only for two of the most important and respected people in our country but for all women."

As of Monday, one week after the shareholders' meeting, the only corrective action was a brief statement from Gordon "sincerely apologiz(ing) if the opening comments I made at the recent annual stockholders meeting offended anyone."



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/05/22/BUIB1OLP5E.DTL

Ah, the usual non-appology. Guy needs to be fired.
On edit: Safeway CEO apologizes (see downthread) to Pelosi and HRC

[SCantiGOP]

1. Damn

My list of boycotted companies just keeps getting longer. If this keeps up I won't be able to do anything but eat Ben and Jerry's ice cream and wish I could afford to buy some Berkshire Hathaway stock.

[LoisB]

28. SCantiGOP

I thought I was the only one with that problem. It's gotten to the point that I can't remember why I'm boycotting some of these jerks.

[russspeakeasy]

46. I know how you feel . Cubs suck and no Godfathers pizza,

[tblue]

49. The list of companies I boycott + list of states I won't set foot in

That's one damned long list. I can't go freaking anywhere.

[sinkingfeeling]

2. The jerk should be thrown out of the company, but won't be.

[Buns_of_Fire]

7. Of course not. "Senior Executives" are so VALUABLE to the company, dontcha know?

In other words, show some RESPECT here. After all, they kissed a lot of ass to get in that position -- and they'll kiss a lot MORE ass to KEEP it!

[Chorophyll]

3. Classic piggery.

How anyone could think this was an acceptable joke at a shareholders' meeting (or anywhere, really) is beyond me. We still have a lot of work to do.

[mwb970]

52. I'm not surprised.

This is typical conservative "humor", which seems to have two threads: (1) cruel name-calling directed at the weak and vulnerable; (2) crude remarks, often involving sex and animals, directed at disfavored public figures.

Word play? Sophisticated wit? Clever literary allusions? These things are well beyond the limits of the right-wing mind.

[MineralMan]

4. That's not an apology at all.

Typical.

[Bake]

17. I'm sorry (NOT!) ... IF anyone was offended.

The typical Puke non-apology.



Bake

[99Forever]

5. Should anyone care to ...

... express their disgust to Safeway about this matter, here's a link:

http://www.safeway.com/ShopStores/Comments.page?#iframetop

I addressed mine to their BoD.

[panader0]

19. Thanks for the link

I gave them a piece of my mind.

[kardonb]

33. should anyone....

I let them have it with both barrels . Demanded an apology for their uncalled-for behavior . Told the I will shop at other venues in the future .

[SpartanDem]

6. The joke

Last edited Wed May 23, 2012, 04:17 PM - Edit history (1)

&feature=player_embedded#!

[Dont call me Shirley]

22. Wonder how much he paid to obtain his exaggerated phony speech impediment

[SemperEadem]

40. Hmmm.. I hear women laughing in the background, too

financial insulation--the things it'll make some people do...

[WhoIsNumberNone]

43. He was obviously playing to a Teabagger crowd.

His delivery was so bad I wouldn't have laughed even if it had been a good joke.

[RFKHumphreyObama]

44. What a jackass

[TrogL]

8. That's not an apology

An apology would read "I apologize for offending people". "offended anyone" is passive voice and puts the blame on the offendee.

[n2doc]

10. It's worse

He issues one of those "IF I offended anyone..." non-appologies.

[Blecht]

13. It's not his fault

If nobody had gotten offended, there wouldn't be a problem!

"I apologize if you're too stupid to get my great joke!"

[yesphan]

9. Some things can be interpreted

as offensive and some are just innately offensive. What this guy said falls under the latter.

[Gold Metal Flake]

11. I am in favor of firing people who use the non-apology.

One chance to get it right. They wimp out, they get fired.

[BlueToTheBone]

12. Not to mention 2 powerful positions in the government.

That is a slap at all SOSs and Minority Leaders who have ever served.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

14. Bad taste and judgement aside, that's a dusty old Bill Clinton joke! Repubs REALLY don't know humor.

[yellowcanine]

15. "I apologize if my remarks offended anyone." Do these guys not have PR advisers or lawyers who

could tell them that this kind of "apology" is no apology at all and will ALWAYS make things worse, not better? Fire the nimrod. He needs to go.

[Faygo Kid]

32. +1

The non-apology "apology."

He's cretinous. Slimeball.

[yellowcanine]

16. I am done with Safeway until he goes. And I can get 3 cents off on a gallon of gas there too.

But never mind. A company who will keep this jerk doesn't need my business.

[EFerrari]

20. I've been emailing Safeway to thank them every time one of their staffers

helps me by ordering something they don't stock, which is about once a month. Let's see how they do with a complaint.

[EFerrari]

18. Contact page:

http://www.safeway.com/ShopStores/Contact-Us.page

[SpartanDem]

21. To be be fair this is a bit of an overeaction to a very old political joke

You can insert in any politician/public figure you don't like in to it. I know some you'd chuckle if it were Sarah Palin and Dana Loesch.

As President Bush gets off the helicopter in front of the White House, he is
carrying a baby pig under each arm.

The Marine guard snaps to attention, salutes, and says: "Nice pigs, sir."

The President replies, "These are not pigs. These are authentic Texan
Razorback
Hogs. I got one for Vice President Cheney, and I got one for Defense Secretary
Rumsfeld."

The Marine again snaps to attention, salutes, and says, "Nice trade, sir." ;;


http://www.sporttaco.com/alt.sport.pool/As_President_Bush_gets_off_the_helicopter_2835.html

[Chorophyll]

24. I've got to disagree.

And as much as I hate Sarah Palin, I never thought the misogynistic stuff aimed at her was funny (or necessary -- plenty of stuff to mock there without sexualizing her.) I don't like fat jokes about NJ's governor either. Again, plenty to laugh at without that.

The guy told this joke at a shareholders' meeting for a large corporation. Classic Old Boys misogynist shit. And the fact that the women he alluded to are in GOVERNMENT... oh, that's hitting on all cylinders. Completely stupid and inappropriate.

[99Forever]

25. Nice copout you have there.

..and telling people "..you'd chuckle if.." is pure unmitigated BS. Save it for the righties.

[Lemonwurst]

26. Yes, but...

I've heard that joke before and yes, it translates easily on both sides. I'd even agree so far as to say that any and all overreacting to situations like this is encouraged by the media, for their benefit of course.

Still... who tells the joke, when and where, does matter. As does the old blame-the-offended-people apology. Bad taste implies bad character, and this guy is teeming with that. Given that he's powerful enough to make decisions that significantly affect people's lives, and has a public persona because of that power, I'd expect better - no matter his personal beliefs or political affiliation.

The effects of a joke in poor taste would dissipate quickly enough if it weren't also a window into the soul of yet another powerful and horribly flawed 1-percenter. These are the people who are pulling the strings in America, gaining influence with each passing year, and many of us are disgusted with that fact alone. To hear this powerful person proudly announce his blatant disrespect for others, particularly those *not like him* is what (for me) makes this situation downright repulsive.

[meanit]

31. This guy Gordon

is an unprofessional idiot. He might as well have said "Safeway doesn't like Democrats". This clown just alienated a portion of his customer base.
If the shareholders are smart, they'll dump Gordon. Aside from being an obvious right wing asshole, he's bad for business!

[TBF]

36. No, misogynist comments about female politicians are not funny -

and it is not an "overreaction" for women to speak out against them.

[Egalitarian Thug]

23. Only little people get fired. n/t

K&R

[marble falls]

27. What I've written to Safeway corporate ......

Due to comments made by Vice President and General Counsel Robert Gordon, I will no longer shop Safeway when I have the opportunity. If Safeway ever opens a store in my area, I will not be shopping there. I am a Republican and I find insulting the President anything but funny. I am tired of the need of folks to share their ignorance with the public and find it nauseating and his non-apology for having done so disingenuous. When I visit my kids and folks (one and/or the other monthly), I fill their refrigerators. It will not be from your stores. Mr Gordon is a boorish ass, by his own words and "apology". Shame on him for the remarks and for never having learnt what an apology entails.

[freshwest]

29. The Effing IF Non-Apology strikes again. Boycott him and his stinking friends until he learns.

[stevenleser]

30. It's a Repology = "Republican Non-Apology Apology". nt

[TBF]

34. I do some shopping at Randalls (owned by Safeway) -

here is my comment to them:

I very much enjoy shopping at Randall's, particularly when I need to pick up a few things for dinner. Your store here in Pearland, TX is close to my son's preschool and very nicely set up.

Regretfully, however, all of my business will now go to the Kroger down the street after listening to your GC Bob Gordon's misogynist joke. If and when he is terminated I will reconsider shopping at Randall's.

[allan01]

35. re: Safeway exec's disgusting Obama joke backfires, brings apology

i am so sick of these blankety blank blank "jokes. not funny mc ghee. just aint funny in my book. if u dont have anything nice to say about someone , dont say it at all . my buttons have been pushed yet again. grrr.

[n2doc]

37. Safeway CEO’s letter of apology to Clinton and Pelosi

Here’s the text of the letter Safeway CEO Steve Burd sent to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi yesterday, in response to a joke made at the company’s annual shareholders meeting last week.

Dear Madam Secretary and Leader Pelosi:
You may have heard about the regrettable attempt at humor by Safeway’s General Counsel, Bob Gordon, at our recent annual meeting of stockholders.
Mr. Gordon has sent a letter of apology directly to both of you. I simply wanted express to you how sorry I am for what occurred. The joke was inappropriate and I deeply regret that this has obscured the respect we hold for you and for your service to our nation. We intend to do all we can to prevent something like this from happening in the future.
Again, please accept my apology.
Sincerely,
Steven A. Burd
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

http://blog.sfgate.com/bottomline/2012/05/23/safeway-ceo-apologizes-to-clinton-pelosi/

[SemperEadem]

42. well, the only way that can happen is to fire him and everyone who laughed

seeing that that probably won't happen... I still won't shop at your crummy, over priced store. Hell, if I want to pay those kind of prices, I'll go to Wegmans.

[bayareaboy]

38. I was already Pissed about ... the thing in Monterey ...

My first job after the paper route, was working at a Safeway as a box-boy on the same street as what was Safeway Headquarters in Oakland. it was also my first union employment a couple of years later. My sister also worked about 20years for them in the office.

To day I sent an email saying that I will never shop again at Safeway.

[DevonRex]

56. Read further down in the article. An employee was fired for

defending a pregnant woman from attack by her boyfriend. That's right. A Safeway employee tried to stop a pregnant woman from being beaten up, wound up defending himself from that attacker in the process and hit the guy, and got fired.

The employee and his wife are also expecting a baby soon and he has been out of work for a month. Because of pressure from the community and the media and the union, he has another hearing coming up with Safeway management. Now maybe he'll be taken back.

But when you write your emails, be sure to bring this up to Safeway as well.

[bayareaboy]

57. auctually I was more upset over the the employee being fired ...

Then that Yahoo at the shareholder's meeting, telling the lame joke. Both are silly and stupid from a group that should know better. I have worked before I retired as shop steward and know well what management does when they want to stir things up.

[Dash87]

39. I love how, on the audio, the kiss asses continued laughing for about 30 seconds at that joke.

It stunk.

[SemperEadem]

41. he told that joke because he felt safe telling it

he felt safe making an ugly and uncalled for remark about two mature women--so this little performance also goes towards the fact that there exists an environment in the corporate offices of Safeway at their shareholder's meeting an atmosphere in which misogyny and disrespect can not only flourish, but is nurtured. You can best believe that this isn't the first time this asshole has said something like this in front of these people. They've provided all the safety he could ever want in order to say this crap.

I do not shop at Safeway and now, after hearing this, I never will set foot in a Safeway store ever again until not only him, but everyone who laughed is removed from that board. The CEO coming in after the fact apologizing doesn't cut it--why didn't we hear his voice objecting on tape in the moment? I'll bet he was laughing along with everyone until he remembered that that shit was caught on audio tape.

Stupid asses.

[CBHagman]

45. Remember when John McCain made a joke that insulted Hillary Clinton, then the first lady, plus...

...the attorney general at the time, plus first daughter Chelsea Clinton? McCain wound up apologizing, but basically he got away with it.

Meanwhile, if Fox News and Limbaugh and their ilk get it into their heads to go after someone for a misinterpreted comment, a quote taken out of context, they don't stop until someone's lost his or her job.

Just providing context here...

[jillan]

47. Wtf? Why is it everyday there is someone else having to apologize for their comments about the

President of the United States?

President Obama won the election in 2008 because he got the most votes, inc the electoral college.

If all of these assholes can't handle living a Democracy, they should move out of the country.

I am really, really getting sick of this.

[indivisibleman]

48. What am I missing here?

I honestly don't see what is funny about this. Help me out here. The only thing I see in this joke is to disparage Pelosi and Clinton. And what application does it have to the meeting? Safeway sells ham? I just don't understand.

[Quantess]

54. Did you listen to it?

It was even less funny than I anticipated, with his awkward delivery. Totally lame.

[indivisibleman]

58. yes, I did and I am still puzzled.

on a scale of funniness from 1 to 10 it barely makes a 1. It's more of a groaner than anything.

[Scurrilous]

50. Kick

[mahina]

51. Boycotted long ago because every single transaction included an overcharge.

They erred 100% of the time, and it was in their favor 100% of the time. Coincidence?

Assholes.

[just1voice]

53. Typical 1%er corporate "pig" himself

Send these aholes a note at their corporate responsibility page, LOL:

http://csrsite.safeway.com/

[Ohio Progressive]

55. fake ass apology

""sincerely apologiz(ing) if the opening comments I made at the recent annual stockholders meeting offended anyone."

Bullshit. Not a real apology and not good enough.