Boo on the Pringles "free" advertising! I admit I don't like Pringles, especially after reading the ingredients, but I hope scientific groups have better things to do than bow to corporate wishes. Perhaps a compromise could be reached and use "Pringles spider" as a common name???
Pringles needs to be careful what it asks for. Some people might find it a bit creepy to bite into a Pringles chip and picturing a hairy spider. The Lays potato chip maker could find a way to profit from this.
As I am becoming an old white lady, I read today's Understandably with interest.
In Canada, efforts are made for diversity for sure. However, I must say that I have been discriminated against for being, well, white, and for being a little older, at age 50 though I've never felt better in my life. Go figure, too, that my caring and happy nature rubs some people the wrong way.
I am a proud of French Canadian or more specifically Franco-Ontarian. Imagine my surprise while attending an event I was enjoying thoroughly being told on two occasions not to speak French there. Wow! I was flabbergasted. French is, after all, an official language in Canada along with English. A little background, I was actually answering someone who addressed me in French at the time in a private conversation that was overheard by bystanders. The worry was that some people thought we were speaking ill of others. I interjected that if I had something to say to someone, I would tell them in their own language. I did leave that event that evening very disappointed and jaded. That's my 2 cents. What are yours?
This has been going on for way too long. Diversity is good but not at the cost of good and loyal employees! Let’s face it, it’s happening in the interviewing process as well.
So interesting your take on the AT&T “old white guy” case. Things seem to be changing for the better and I can imagine that it’s scary for many OWG who’s dominated everything for so long. So, discrimination was fine all of these years as longs as the OWGs were in charge, but now that the tides are turning, you will start to sue for alleged “reverse discrimination”? So win win either way right? Noted.
Well, as an old black lady, I’m so glad that my kids and grandkids may have
More opportunities in the future, than my generation. (Although, many OWG and gals are still fighting to stop this from happening). I get it, why give up power and privilege when it’s served you well for so long, so many generations.
But when God says it’s time for accountability and change, it will happen. And our trials and tribulations would not have been in vein.
See California Beach front Properly stolen by imminent domain story. Accountability is coming.
As an old white lady now raising a black teenager I am rapidly gaining awareness of the privilege I’ve lived with my whole life - and always been completely oblivious and ignorant about it. I catch myself now being furious about “poor service “ i may be getting somewhere, and take a big deep breath and ask myself why I think I’m entitled to service at all, in this world so full of injustice and cruelty, and I remind myself to just STF UP and be nice. It’s astonishing how difficult this is after a lifetime of invisible training. I’m hearing my old white peers enjoying their deep rage and indignation over petty inconveniences and people who don’t see things the way they do, and I pray I won’t continue to be like that myself.
Thanks for speaking up Marie. Your perspective needs to be heard here.
My white peers, we do not understand how good we’ve had it and it hurts to let it go, but we need to understand both how good we’ve had it and how bad those we’ve walked on have had it, in order to create something better in this world. There has to be a way to find a middle road with justice for all. It’s not too late to wake up.
Btw, I got let go from an position in a corporation not too long ago myself. I sympathize with Mr. D…. But let it go sir. Find a new job and make yourself a good life. Maybe take care of someone who genuinely knows hardship and let that change your heart….
One thing I truly love about understandably is the diversification of the readership and the differing opinions we share as a result. I’ve had my eyes opened multiple times just regarding this story.
Thank you for your post, Marie.
I’m an OWG, and I was “downsized” a couple years ago…and there were obvious “let’s get a younger, more diverse team in here” feel to it. I was the highest paid in my division…a VP, highly trained and skilled.
BUT…I’m fine with it.
The old adage comes to mind: “If you wanna make an omelet, you gotta break some eggs.”
For HOW many years have those eggs been from my black brothers and sisters? For how many years have those eggs been female? For how many years have those eggs been from people who were born or brought into a near no-win situation, while I was born and raised in entitlement?
Take my eggs…break them. I want to feel what it’s like, because it gives me empathy.
Nothing like wading into a good controversy on a Monday morning. This is one of the taboo discussion items if you're an OWG. If you speak up against affirmative action, you're labeled as racist. If you remain silent, you will eventually be subjected to the results of these programs. I'm all for non-discrimination of any kind, however I don't agree with affirmative action quotas because someone falls into a "category". Whatever happened to hiring and retaining the best candidate? Equal is equal, right?
no, it can be about equity, which means helping put people in an equal position, when discrimination has put them in an unequal position for opportunities, resources, education, training, advancement. But in this story, it's not even about equity or diversity. Don't get pulled to that false idea. It's about ageism, which is unlawful, and was framed by employers as diversity to try to avoid the accusation of ageism.
I think I would hire a qualified individual regardless of color, age, etc, I think that is what it should be all about. Doesn't matter, the color, creed or whatever. I was a manager for a test team for a marketing company and I hired the people I thought would be best for the job. My team was the most diverse. I would never turn someone away because of their "self", but then again, I'm a future old white woman. I'm 58. On the flip side, I would never hire someone "because" of their 'self' either, if I didn't feel they were qualified.
Puh-leeze. Anybody want to bet against the fact AT&T hired new people because they are cheaper to employ until they build up some senority? Then watch how fast they get replaced.
I always find it "interesting", (Things that make me go "Hmm, this sounds shady af, methinks.") that when companies go through these " miracle" restructuring shams all of a sudden, gasp, we found all this money! Yay us! We know, we'll buy back our stock and give our CEO and his cronies a big, fat, overpriced raise! Yay us again! Aren't we smart? And look, like magic our stock price is up and we have new suckers, err, stockholders, lining up to buy our stock! Yay us! Again. Ain't America wonderful?
How come when all these "diversity" pushes get done, the CEO's and his golf buddies are still lily white?
Since no one has made this point, let me be the first. When Elon wanted Twitter the bitcoin market was flying high. We all know Elon is huge into bitcoin, right? So what I'm wondering is how big a hit did Elon take since bitcoin has tanked faster than a disco revival?
Maybe our boy Elon is kinda/sorta short the dough to be able to do the deal? And given the ego involved here, it's not a great leap to think that Elon would glom on to any cheesy theory to be able to huff and puff his way out while saving face. Kind of like that other so-called, orange "Republican". Except Elon cashed out $8.5 BILLION bucks worth of Tesla stock while everybody was looking the other way. Never even affected the stock price, which it should have. Hmm...
So we have basically two broke " Republican" blowhards who are morally fine with taking money under false pretenses. Yup, sounds about right.
OWG - if a move to reduce discrimination results in discrimination, it's not achieving the goal. Unless the goal is to hire cheaper staff, which is a terrible thing for all except the company. As someone who has and is experiencing ageism, which is not much compared to the racism some have experienced, all I can say is that it is not the way to run a company. I hope the guy wins his case but I doubt much will change.
Just follow the money trail. It has been my observation (and experience) that large corporations will target older employees (white, male or not) because of their higher salaries. Terminating them saves the company money. (Or so they think.) Knowledge, wisdom and loyalty go with them, however. Sad.
In another life I was a manager of a nursing department when another local hospital “let go of nurses by cutting back their hours of scheduled work” so the employees had to leave in order to make enough money to pay their bills. Those getting cut were the more seasoned, experienced nurses. It was sure my windfall to hire, full time awesome folks who were thrilled to come to work and helped immensely care for our patients! The other hospital said it was a business decision. I guess it was…..
It will be interesting to see what the end of Roe v. Wade will do to the legal industry. With life now legally starting much earlier than it used to in many states, we can expect a tsunami of lawsuits from people claiming child support at inception, additional dependents on tax returns, etc, etc, etc…
You opened the door to me sharing some words from my old friend George:
“Pro-life conservatives are obsessed with the fetus from conception to 9 months. After that, they don’t wanna know about you. They don’t wanna hear from you. No nothing! No neonatal care, no daycare, no Head Start, no school lunch, no food stamps, no welfare, no nothing. If you’re pre-born, you’re fine, if you’re preschool, you’re f__ked.”
It's always been this way. I remember back in the mid-70s, my Dad (62) was told to retire.
Aww and my dad couldn’t even enter the building. Bless your lil white heart.
It's about time someone took these big corps to task on this.
Boo on the Pringles "free" advertising! I admit I don't like Pringles, especially after reading the ingredients, but I hope scientific groups have better things to do than bow to corporate wishes. Perhaps a compromise could be reached and use "Pringles spider" as a common name???
Pringles needs to be careful what it asks for. Some people might find it a bit creepy to bite into a Pringles chip and picturing a hairy spider. The Lays potato chip maker could find a way to profit from this.
now i want snacks :D sans spider!
As I am becoming an old white lady, I read today's Understandably with interest.
In Canada, efforts are made for diversity for sure. However, I must say that I have been discriminated against for being, well, white, and for being a little older, at age 50 though I've never felt better in my life. Go figure, too, that my caring and happy nature rubs some people the wrong way.
I am a proud of French Canadian or more specifically Franco-Ontarian. Imagine my surprise while attending an event I was enjoying thoroughly being told on two occasions not to speak French there. Wow! I was flabbergasted. French is, after all, an official language in Canada along with English. A little background, I was actually answering someone who addressed me in French at the time in a private conversation that was overheard by bystanders. The worry was that some people thought we were speaking ill of others. I interjected that if I had something to say to someone, I would tell them in their own language. I did leave that event that evening very disappointed and jaded. That's my 2 cents. What are yours?
I will enjoy reading the comments here for sure.
We all love to hear about diversity and affirmative action until it affects us. Kind of like let’s do away with fossil fuels.
This has been going on for way too long. Diversity is good but not at the cost of good and loyal employees! Let’s face it, it’s happening in the interviewing process as well.
So interesting your take on the AT&T “old white guy” case. Things seem to be changing for the better and I can imagine that it’s scary for many OWG who’s dominated everything for so long. So, discrimination was fine all of these years as longs as the OWGs were in charge, but now that the tides are turning, you will start to sue for alleged “reverse discrimination”? So win win either way right? Noted.
Well, as an old black lady, I’m so glad that my kids and grandkids may have
More opportunities in the future, than my generation. (Although, many OWG and gals are still fighting to stop this from happening). I get it, why give up power and privilege when it’s served you well for so long, so many generations.
But when God says it’s time for accountability and change, it will happen. And our trials and tribulations would not have been in vein.
See California Beach front Properly stolen by imminent domain story. Accountability is coming.
As an old white lady now raising a black teenager I am rapidly gaining awareness of the privilege I’ve lived with my whole life - and always been completely oblivious and ignorant about it. I catch myself now being furious about “poor service “ i may be getting somewhere, and take a big deep breath and ask myself why I think I’m entitled to service at all, in this world so full of injustice and cruelty, and I remind myself to just STF UP and be nice. It’s astonishing how difficult this is after a lifetime of invisible training. I’m hearing my old white peers enjoying their deep rage and indignation over petty inconveniences and people who don’t see things the way they do, and I pray I won’t continue to be like that myself.
Thanks for speaking up Marie. Your perspective needs to be heard here.
My white peers, we do not understand how good we’ve had it and it hurts to let it go, but we need to understand both how good we’ve had it and how bad those we’ve walked on have had it, in order to create something better in this world. There has to be a way to find a middle road with justice for all. It’s not too late to wake up.
Btw, I got let go from an position in a corporation not too long ago myself. I sympathize with Mr. D…. But let it go sir. Find a new job and make yourself a good life. Maybe take care of someone who genuinely knows hardship and let that change your heart….
Thank you so much for your perspective and openness Patricia. Sounds like your teenager is in good hands. Blessings to both of you.
One thing I truly love about understandably is the diversification of the readership and the differing opinions we share as a result. I’ve had my eyes opened multiple times just regarding this story.
Thank you for your post, Marie.
I’m an OWG, and I was “downsized” a couple years ago…and there were obvious “let’s get a younger, more diverse team in here” feel to it. I was the highest paid in my division…a VP, highly trained and skilled.
BUT…I’m fine with it.
The old adage comes to mind: “If you wanna make an omelet, you gotta break some eggs.”
For HOW many years have those eggs been from my black brothers and sisters? For how many years have those eggs been female? For how many years have those eggs been from people who were born or brought into a near no-win situation, while I was born and raised in entitlement?
Take my eggs…break them. I want to feel what it’s like, because it gives me empathy.
I welcome this change.
Nothing like wading into a good controversy on a Monday morning. This is one of the taboo discussion items if you're an OWG. If you speak up against affirmative action, you're labeled as racist. If you remain silent, you will eventually be subjected to the results of these programs. I'm all for non-discrimination of any kind, however I don't agree with affirmative action quotas because someone falls into a "category". Whatever happened to hiring and retaining the best candidate? Equal is equal, right?
no, it can be about equity, which means helping put people in an equal position, when discrimination has put them in an unequal position for opportunities, resources, education, training, advancement. But in this story, it's not even about equity or diversity. Don't get pulled to that false idea. It's about ageism, which is unlawful, and was framed by employers as diversity to try to avoid the accusation of ageism.
I think I would hire a qualified individual regardless of color, age, etc, I think that is what it should be all about. Doesn't matter, the color, creed or whatever. I was a manager for a test team for a marketing company and I hired the people I thought would be best for the job. My team was the most diverse. I would never turn someone away because of their "self", but then again, I'm a future old white woman. I'm 58. On the flip side, I would never hire someone "because" of their 'self' either, if I didn't feel they were qualified.
Old white guy:
Puh-leeze. Anybody want to bet against the fact AT&T hired new people because they are cheaper to employ until they build up some senority? Then watch how fast they get replaced.
I always find it "interesting", (Things that make me go "Hmm, this sounds shady af, methinks.") that when companies go through these " miracle" restructuring shams all of a sudden, gasp, we found all this money! Yay us! We know, we'll buy back our stock and give our CEO and his cronies a big, fat, overpriced raise! Yay us again! Aren't we smart? And look, like magic our stock price is up and we have new suckers, err, stockholders, lining up to buy our stock! Yay us! Again. Ain't America wonderful?
How come when all these "diversity" pushes get done, the CEO's and his golf buddies are still lily white?
Elon and Twitter:
Since no one has made this point, let me be the first. When Elon wanted Twitter the bitcoin market was flying high. We all know Elon is huge into bitcoin, right? So what I'm wondering is how big a hit did Elon take since bitcoin has tanked faster than a disco revival?
Maybe our boy Elon is kinda/sorta short the dough to be able to do the deal? And given the ego involved here, it's not a great leap to think that Elon would glom on to any cheesy theory to be able to huff and puff his way out while saving face. Kind of like that other so-called, orange "Republican". Except Elon cashed out $8.5 BILLION bucks worth of Tesla stock while everybody was looking the other way. Never even affected the stock price, which it should have. Hmm...
So we have basically two broke " Republican" blowhards who are morally fine with taking money under false pretenses. Yup, sounds about right.
Huh. Anyone notice they’re both OWGs?
Lol @ disco revival
I'm going to pitch a new Lays slogan:
"Bet you can eat more Lays, we don't have spiders as mascots!"
Yes? No?
Poo, back to the drawing board...
OWG - if a move to reduce discrimination results in discrimination, it's not achieving the goal. Unless the goal is to hire cheaper staff, which is a terrible thing for all except the company. As someone who has and is experiencing ageism, which is not much compared to the racism some have experienced, all I can say is that it is not the way to run a company. I hope the guy wins his case but I doubt much will change.
Just follow the money trail. It has been my observation (and experience) that large corporations will target older employees (white, male or not) because of their higher salaries. Terminating them saves the company money. (Or so they think.) Knowledge, wisdom and loyalty go with them, however. Sad.
In another life I was a manager of a nursing department when another local hospital “let go of nurses by cutting back their hours of scheduled work” so the employees had to leave in order to make enough money to pay their bills. Those getting cut were the more seasoned, experienced nurses. It was sure my windfall to hire, full time awesome folks who were thrilled to come to work and helped immensely care for our patients! The other hospital said it was a business decision. I guess it was…..
It will be interesting to see what the end of Roe v. Wade will do to the legal industry. With life now legally starting much earlier than it used to in many states, we can expect a tsunami of lawsuits from people claiming child support at inception, additional dependents on tax returns, etc, etc, etc…
You opened the door to me sharing some words from my old friend George:
“Pro-life conservatives are obsessed with the fetus from conception to 9 months. After that, they don’t wanna know about you. They don’t wanna hear from you. No nothing! No neonatal care, no daycare, no Head Start, no school lunch, no food stamps, no welfare, no nothing. If you’re pre-born, you’re fine, if you’re preschool, you’re f__ked.”
— George Carlin