Media Mogul's Bullying Costs Him Dearly

[The Wooster]

Media Mogul's Bullying Costs Him Dearly

Bellowing abuse at your staff can backfire horribly, particularly when it turns out they're not your staff.

Here's a beautiful, but sadly unconfirmed, story from the pages of Private Eye. Richard Desmond, porn baron and newspaper owner, is not known for his friendly demeanor. Boasting a personal fortune of some £950 million, Desmond can afford his reputation for unpleasant, often verbally abusive outbursts.

One such outburst took place in the offices of Channel 5, a British TV channel Desmond owns. The notorious smut-purveyor entered the office to find a young lad sitting at a desk eating a packet of crisps. Seemingly enraged by this display of gluttony, he ripped the packet from the boy's hands and promptly set about motivating him.

"You're here to work hard," he yelled, "not stuff your face, you fat ****."

Rather than imbue the young lad with boundless enthusiasm for hard work, the name-calling just made him flee from the room in tears. The funny part, however, is that the young man in question wasn't actually one of Desmond's employees. He was actually in the office doing work experience ( a less formal version of an internship for those of you outside the UK). Even better, he was given the position by manager, Stan Myerson, as a favor to the boy's father, who just so happens to be the chief exec of a top advertising agency.

Following the incident, all advertisements for Asda, the second largest supermarket chain in the UK, were pulled from Desmond's papers, the Daily Star and the Daily Express. It seems the "fat ****" got the last laugh on this occasion.

Source: Private Eye No. 1324


Permalink

 

[Dark Knifer]

This should happen to ceos and barons like this all the time. Everywhere. Every day.

 

[ASnogarD]

I am suprised this article was posted with the word '****' used several times, even if it is from quotes.
It doesnt bother me much, but in this sterile world of PC and Censorship it is nearly as special as the actual article

Oh man, if that boss had tried that on me I would of also been in tears... tears of joy as the courts would of awarded me quiet a lot in compensation for mental trauma, loss of income, punitive damages, rehabilitation costs and legal fees

... except with my temper I would of probably kick the crap out of him and got sued instead

 

[Evil Smurf]

I thought this was about Rupert Murdock. I am disapoint.

 

[Weresquirrel]

While I think we can agree that it's good that this bully got what was coming to him, I think it is a shame that it only came about because he picked the wrong target. How many other people has he abused with no repurcussions because they don't have a high profile business in the family?

 

[Tiamat666]

So, the young lad was just sitting around munching crisps because his rich dad got him the position for a "work experience" internship.

Well, maybe media mogul was correct, if somewhat obscene, in his assessment of the situation.

 

[The Wooster]

So, the young lad was just sitting around munching crisps because his rich dad got him the position for a "work experience" internship.

Work experience is different from an internship because you're in no way qualified for the work. The idea is you just watch what goes on and try to stay out of people's way. The story doesn't give the kid's age, but generally you're around 15-16 when you do a work experience placement.

 

[Frostbyte666]

So, the young lad was just sitting around munching crisps because his rich dad got him the position for a "work experience" internship.

Work experience is different from an internship because you're in no way qualified for the work. The idea is you just watch what goes on and try to stay out of people's way. The story doesn't give the kid's age, but generally you're around 15-16 when you do a work experience placement.

Exactly that, though you may be given make work (who had working at a garage and being sent off to find a long weight?) like say filing or something but it's mainly to give a taste of the workplace and to give you ideas for a future career. Usually I found I did the make work to relieve the boredom of sitting around doing nothing.

 

[Dragoon]

So, the young lad was just sitting around munching crisps because his rich dad got him the position for a "work experience" internship.

Work experience is different from an internship because you're in no way qualified for the work. The idea is you just watch what goes on and try to stay out of people's way. The story doesn't give the kid's age, but generally you're around 15-16 when you do a work experience placement.

Wish my work experience was like that, I went to Boots and I just got thrown into a stockroom for a week by myself and was told to tidy and stack the shelves. Work experience sucks

 

[GoaThief]

I'm thinking this isn't true, unfortunately.

I do like the direct use of one of the swear words considered "most offensive". Bravo, I can see some special interest groups being up in arms though, the fallout could be amusing.

 

[Tiamat666]

So, the young lad was just sitting around munching crisps because his rich dad got him the position for a "work experience" internship.

Work experience is different from an internship because you're in no way qualified for the work. The idea is you just watch what goes on and try to stay out of people's way. The story doesn't give the kid's age, but generally you're around 15-16 when you do a work experience placement.

I suppose it also depends on the attitude of the company you're at. I had to do a mandatory 2-week work experience course in high school, and the folks of the IT-company I went to tought me how to do basic HTML and write SQL queries. After the 2-weeks, they hired me as part-time help.

But it definitively couldn't have hurt if the kid had searched for something -on his own initiative- instead of having dad pull connections. Searching for a job and talking to people already qualifies as essential work experience. This way he might also have looked for something inside his interests so that he would perhaps get involved more rather than just sitting around, passing the time.

Anyway, I have little sympathy for son & dad in this case. Basically dad perverted the "work experience" thing by transforming it into a lesson in cronyism.

 

[Woodsey]

So, the young lad was just sitting around munching crisps because his rich dad got him the position for a "work experience" internship.

Well, maybe media mogul was correct, if somewhat obscene, in his assessment of the situation.

Or, y'know, he might have been on a break. If he's on work experience at a TV channel I can't imagine they have much they can actually give him to do anyway, so it'd have been more of a watch and learn experience.

This way he might also have looked for something inside his interests so that he would perhaps get involved more rather than just sitting around, passing the time.

Maybe it was his interest. So what else is going to do when that's what he's interested in and his Dad can pull some weight to help get the placement?

 

[happy_turtle]

I suppose it also depends on the attitude of the company you're at.

Yeah, this is pretty much how it is, my work experience was split up into two weeks shadowing two different employees of a firm. One week I was actively encouraged to be engaged and learn things, the next I was told to sit in the corner and stay out of the guys way, with repeated threats that they would write up a negative assessment if I spoke.

 

[BlackStar42]

Anyone willing to bet Desmond's going to sue the Eye for lost earnings?

Karma is a *****. Now, if Murdoch could get some more comeuppance this week, that'd be golden.

 

[flarty]

I thought this was about Rupert Murdock. I am disapoint.

me too, but its still a brilliant story

 

[rodneyy]

So, the young lad was just sitting around munching crisps because his rich dad got him the position for a "work experience" internship.

Work experience is different from an internship because you're in no way qualified for the work. The idea is you just watch what goes on and try to stay out of people's way. The story doesn't give the kid's age, but generally you're around 15-16 when you do a work experience placement.

I suppose it also depends on the attitude of the company you're at. I had to do a mandatory 2-week work experience course in high school, and the folks of the IT-company I went to tought me how to do basic HTML and write SQL queries. After the 2-weeks, they hired me as part-time help.

But it definitively couldn't have hurt if the kid had searched for something -on his own initiative- instead of having dad pull connections. Searching for a job and talking to people already qualifies as essential work experience. This way he might also have looked for something inside his interests so that he would perhaps get involved more rather than just sitting around, passing the time.

Anyway, I have little sympathy for son & dad in this case. Basically dad perverted the "work experience" thing by transforming it into a lesson in cronyism.

it also depends how used to having work experience placements at the company/business you are posted to. i know when i was doing my work experience we got given a form and told to tick what work we might like to try i ticked science but as that is such a broad subject and most science jobs could be dangerous (cant have kids working with chemicals or drugs) the only place i was offered was at an opticians, and when i got there i was little more than a receptionist for 2 weeks. but at least i had something to do i had a friend who was doing his at a graphic designers and he said he just made coffee and played solitaire wile he was there.

it might have been as simple as he was given a list of places he might be able to work they were all crap (half the people in my class seemed to get jobs at supermarkets) so told his dad and his dad helped him out.

you were lucky you got placed somewhere that could teach you the basics and people who were willing to do the teaching. most places don't bother and even if they do teach you something its at the most simple level as they know you will be gone in 2 weeks so why bother.

as has been said he could have been on a break, it could have been the person who was showing him around had to go do some real work so said go wait in that room for a bit wile i sort this out. there could be any number of reasons why he was sitting in that room at that time.

i hate to break it to you but cronyism and nepotism are not uncommon things, but in some ways it is natural you look after you and your own. they help you so you help them and as a group you grow stronger. its a big deal if you get things like george bush did just because his dad was president. its really not a big deal if its just a work experience for 2 weeks that you dont get any pay and are probably not all that interested in doing for a real job.

 

[Tiamat666]

Or, y'know, he might have been on a break...

I'm just working with the available info under the assumption that media-mogul had an inkling of a reason to assume the guy was just slacking (i.e. it was not break time).

I agree that there are many "could be's" and "what if's", and I'm not condoning media-moguls out-of-line reaction. It's just that kid munching crisps on position mediated by dad for a "work experience" program, doesn't leave a very good impression either.

 

[Woodsey]

Or, y'know, he might have been on a break...

I'm just working with the available info under the assumption that media-mogul had an inkling of a reason to assume the guy was just slacking (i.e. it was not break time).

I agree that there are many "could be's" and "what if's", and I'm not condoning media-moguls out-of-line reaction. It's just that kid munching crisps on position mediated by dad for a "work experience" program, doesn't leave a very good impression either.

People choose when to take their own breaks (although the kid was probably told by someone else that he should go and take one), I don't see how he (the guy who, based on the available info, is known for blowing a fuse on a repeat basis) could have psychically known when that was.

Even if he wasn't on a break: he's on work experience. He can only be involved as much as they let him, and last time I checked it wasn't a crime to eat a bag of fucking crisps - at work or not.

 

[Nadia Castle]

After reading this I suddenly realize why so many people at my school hated work experience. I loved mine, got put in a local metal work factory and spent all day using industrial sandblasters and grinders.

Anyway I admire the guy for not just punching that old gits face in. If someone called me a fat c**t in the middle of an office i'd probably grab the nearest thing to hand and crack him with it. Actually my current unemployment status makes a little bit more sense now.....