Unapologetic in the 21st Century

One of the articles I found interesting this week was Barbie’s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue Causes a Stir Online by Stuart Elliott, posted in the New York Times. While the article itself was not particularly engaging, I found the subject quite interesting. I know almost nothing about Barbie dolls, and don't really care all that much about Sports Illustrated, but I have to admire companies that aren't afraid to take a stance. It seems like in todays incredibly politically correct culture, companies have to apologize almost all the time. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I don't think companies should have to try and cater to everyone. As we all know, there are plenty of people that get upset over everything, and aren't afraid to write about it.

So for Mattel and Sports Illustrated to boldly state that they are "unapologetic" is quite interesting. There is a consensus that these two companies are inherently anti-feminist, and pushing the gender back. What this article, and the campaign point out though, is that there's really no reason to think this, and we have to look into things.

One of the things I question though is are these companies truly unapologetic, and can a company even be so in the 21st century? It seems like no bad deeds go unpunished these days, and public opinion can quickly put a company on its feet.  

Link
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/12/business/media/barbies-sports-illustrated-swimsuit-issue-causes-a-stir-online.html?_r=0

Instant Verdict

The first article that I found quite interesting was in The Globe and Mail, titled Is Woody Allen a sex offender? Over the weekend Twitter ablaze over Allen, and almost all of it was treating him like he was already found guilty. I found this article to be well written, insightful, and quite brave considering the often black and white nature of matters like these. Rather than take a side, or relay the news like the other newspapers did, Margaret Wente stated facts, brought up current misinformation, and questioned whether we should believe something solely on an allegation. Furthermore, the article brought up the idea that false allegations can be as evil as said allegation.

The article and the case itself bring up the current pitfalls of social media. Instant publishing and communication anywhere mean that we often end up forming options before all the facts are released. The Boston Marathon bombing comes to mind, where the internet quickly harassed a man online that they thought was the suspect, due to false publishing.

These are dangerous waters. Accusations are a dangerous weapon alone, but with the viral nature that they can spread now, we have to be even more diligent about waiting for all the facts. Reputations and lives depend on it.

Article
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/is-woody-allen-a-sex-offender/article16670511/