Seriously, who is this not part of a British comedy gag? Because it's so stupid and rancid it doesn't seem real.
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PlayStation boss Jim Ryan sent an email today asking his staff to "respect differences of opinion" on abortion rights.
- Thread starter digitalrelic
- Start date
It is NBC sitcom level, isn't it? Like, it's hard to believe an actual human wrote it.
Knowing that there are definitely people out there who will (and are) going to bat for this piece of shit because he is the current CEO of the company that made their favorite toy box pisses me off to no end.
Fuck off Jim Ryan.
Fuck off Jim Ryan.
Absolutely.
"About that issue where women loose rights, dont talk about it much. Respect the opinions on people who agree with women loosing rights.
by the way... I sure love dogs, my dear employees. I love them because they know their place."
It's honestly baffling. Even approaching it from a business-first "Republicans buy sneakers too" perspective it doesn't seem like a statement that pleases anyone. This really isn't an issue you can straddle the fence on.
It's so, so fucked up that a CEO can come out and say this shit is just a matter of opinion while the company proudly shoves in our face how much they appear to love women. It's incredible how far we have come as a species and yet this basic shit is still up for debate. Jim Ryan saying this means he hates women, plain and simple.
I'm very confused by this. Of course I've never been in the giant role he is in but I've been in charge of teams that had plenty of differences of opinions politically, religion, whatever. Never once did I think man something is really being talked about nationally that could potentially cause some friction…I'll get out in front of it! I always thought I'll deal with issues as they arise unless it was something that I actually had the power to have company discussions on to take a stand.
This seems like creating a problem because you thought you were smart enough to just say everyone get along knowing for a fact that it's clearly an issue that people are going to be extra passionate about.
This seems like creating a problem because you thought you were smart enough to just say everyone get along knowing for a fact that it's clearly an issue that people are going to be extra passionate about.
I'm not sure he's evil... just a goddamn moron. This whole thing reeks of insulated rich white dude with little actual understanding of the day-to-day modern world.
Of course that's no excuse! Fuck off, Jim, and I hope you're fired. There are a thousand different ways you could have worded a statement on the matter that wouldn't have looked AS bad, but no, you went with legit straight-up a both sidesing stupidity.
Of course that's no excuse! Fuck off, Jim, and I hope you're fired. There are a thousand different ways you could have worded a statement on the matter that wouldn't have looked AS bad, but no, you went with legit straight-up a both sidesing stupidity.
His ability to make money for the company is starting to be outweighed by his inability to not know how to read the room and that could potentially cost him his job.
The insane part is he didn't even need to make a statement at all. Nobody asked him to. He did this shit unprompted.
That's very fucking tone deaf given one of their slides from their financial figures the other day was touting how proud they were that women gamers were a growing part of their audience.
Way to screw up something that should be celebrated by following it up with such a weak ass company policy that actually impacts the rights* of those very same gamers.
He and others of a similar mind can fuck off into the sun.
*By making it crystal clear that their rights are negotiable and shouldn't be discussed in polite conversation should you happen to work for Sony. Then again almost all corporations suck in this regard (minus the Bungies of the world) but you would think they (and others) would want to walk the walk at some point.
Way to screw up something that should be celebrated by following it up with such a weak ass company policy that actually impacts the rights* of those very same gamers.
He and others of a similar mind can fuck off into the sun.
*By making it crystal clear that their rights are negotiable and shouldn't be discussed in polite conversation should you happen to work for Sony. Then again almost all corporations suck in this regard (minus the Bungies of the world) but you would think they (and others) would want to walk the walk at some point.
Was this guy born with a foot already wedged in his mouth?
Look, buddy. I can respect a difference of opinion re: abortion if that opposing opinion is limited only to, "I have a deep personal or theological dislike for abortion and I will never get one under any circumstances". Knock yourself out. We perhaps wouldn't be friends or anything, but you are at your liberty to take a stance that is personal to you & which you believe to be morally right.
But if that difference of opinion extends to, "women should not be fucking allowed to undergo any abortion procedures whatsoever under any circumstances" then go take a long hike off a short pier.
It's that simple, Jimbo. I don't have a fraction of what I presume to be your gifted business skills but I could have trotted out something only slightly less incoherent and far less shitty and tone deaf than that.
Look, buddy. I can respect a difference of opinion re: abortion if that opposing opinion is limited only to, "I have a deep personal or theological dislike for abortion and I will never get one under any circumstances". Knock yourself out. We perhaps wouldn't be friends or anything, but you are at your liberty to take a stance that is personal to you & which you believe to be morally right.
But if that difference of opinion extends to, "women should not be fucking allowed to undergo any abortion procedures whatsoever under any circumstances" then go take a long hike off a short pier.
It's that simple, Jimbo. I don't have a fraction of what I presume to be your gifted business skills but I could have trotted out something only slightly less incoherent and far less shitty and tone deaf than that.
Yeah at best he is idiotic and tone deaf; at worst he is a terrible person. Regardless, he shouldn't be there. Playstaton has been so good with with firm stances on BLM and the War against Ukraine and many other issues, for Jim to come out unprompted and be all middle ground on this is just so strange and stupid. But also, in a industry that has treated women like trash, it just further perpetuates how shit the industry can be.
I have to say I am a little disappointed that more gaming companies havent come out in support of women. But at least they haven't like... done the opposite.
It has to be tough to be a PlayStation employee, when every 4-5 years the epicenter of your company shifts to a different continent. From what I can tell, Andrew House did a reasonable job without these absurd gaffes. But he did consolidate power in EMEA, and maybe that helped Jim Ryan ascend to his current role. He's definitely not in that position because of his natural charisma or connection with their customers.
I find it exceedingly difficult to believe that the inclusion of an unwieldy anecdote about about dogs 'knowing their place' was pure coincidence.
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I'm all about hearing other opinions...BUT NOT ON THIS, ESPECIALLY FROM MEN.
Women will die because of the revocation of Roe. Women should always have a choice of what happens to their bodies. It's a slippery slope. And Jim Ryan is a slime ball. Still pissed.
Also, for those not in the US, there's also a HUGE baby formula shortage here at the moment. Which just highlights how ridiculous the abortion ban is...
The government about to ban abortion can't even support the babies that are already here.
Women will die because of the revocation of Roe. Women should always have a choice of what happens to their bodies. It's a slippery slope. And Jim Ryan is a slime ball. Still pissed.
Also, for those not in the US, there's also a HUGE baby formula shortage here at the moment. Which just highlights how ridiculous the abortion ban is...
The government about to ban abortion can't even support the babies that are already here.
Jim discussing dogs vs. cats as pets is a reoccurring "lighthearted, small talky thing" he often includes in his emails...whether or not it was a pure coincidence or not in this context, idk.
Which considered through the lens of an issue like this, is horrifying in a distinct way. "Different strokes" doesn't particularly apply when people are going to be arrested charged and punished by the state for exercising what should be civil rights.
They're not part of Sony yet. Wonder if they can still back out in light of this if they wanted to.
I regret purchasing a PlayStation 5 now and financially supporting him and the company in any way.
Certainly has me rethinking the future of PlayStation purchases.
Certainly has me rethinking the future of PlayStation purchases.
I....I'm just flabbergasted....
Like what the hell was he thinking. How do you compose something like that and NOT expect people to see the connection between dogs and "knowing their place"?!
Oh right he probably thought it was something cool and stuff! What an idiot.
Like what the hell was he thinking. How do you compose something like that and NOT expect people to see the connection between dogs and "knowing their place"?!
Oh right he probably thought it was something cool and stuff! What an idiot.
Jim Ryan has always been a bit of a PR nightmare. His old gaming related quotes could be irritating or confusing, but this email about women's rights is actively disgusting and idiotic. I thought Sony was trending towards the progressive side of things in general, but with this guy as the president and CEO of SIE I guess that was mostly fake. Big yikes.
Wow, Jim has to say dumb shit every once in a while. Maybe he's a good business man but he certainly shouldn't be the face of PlayStation. Get him the fuck out.
Do you think people should not be banned for saying "slavery is good"?
For anyone who doesn't really think of language and communication structurally, people are especially frustrated at Ryan's statement because he thought it best to make [a "cute" anecdote about how he likes dogs because "they know their place"], and to [compare disagreement re: taking away abortion rights to how some people like cats and others like dogs]. It's a multi-faceted attempt to make light of the stakes of a civil right being taken away under threat of state action, in an incredibly NON-THEORETICAL scenario.