When I was in New York last month, the ad guru,61 year old Niki French made headlines for all the wrong reasons.The best advertising copywriter had met his Waterloo.The Global Creative Director of WPP put his foot in his mouth when asked why the women in his agency didn't make it to the top.He responded with the title of this post.There was hell let loose after that and the cigarsmoking adguru had to put in his papers.The bloggers who got him out raised their glasses for the victim whom they had felled.
Someone said,he is rude,insensitive and offensive. At work he is nasty but an absolutely superb creative man. When he was quizzed by the press,Niki reacted by saying that he never said that all female creative directors are crap."There has to be total commitment which women don't have because the industry is very demanding."
Few bought that line and there were no tears when he had to make a dramatic exit. What a sad end to a glorious career.
His insensitivity and indiscretion brought about his downfall.
Some say he has a point. And that there are figures to support him. And that men make better lateral thinkers.That, in my opinion,is very debatable.
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2 comments:
debatable and also subjective. i know very capable women who have quit their jobs inspite of a great career to be with their kids, i also know of women who have decided not to have kids and focus just on their careers and are doing exceeding well. both sets seem happy with their choices. it's a choice women are able to make only now. it's only for the past couple of decades that women have been entering the job markets and in many places they are still discriminated against. in many male dominated industries women still have to work harder than the men to be recognized.
why in japan, even today women have a tough time negotiating the corporate ladder. i read somewhere recently that most japanese men think women in the workplace are good enough only for secretarial work and there too are judged by their ability to make tea!!
i entirely agree with rums. there are innumerable women achievers and are as good as men if not better in many areas of work.in the past women did not enjoy the freedom that they have today.that has made all the difference.you can have a family,have babies and still give 100% commitment to your job.
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