Discussion
  • Read More
    awkwardturtleEmily Alford
    11/07/19 7:13pm

    I 10000% believe all of this happened exactly as described. I’ve been working in the music industry for years, and at one point worked at a rival magazine to Fader and had many friends who worked at Vice. The descriptions of these parties are totally dead-on and I can completely see all of those events happening. I feel “lucky” that I didn’t encounter sexual harrassment during my time at a similar publication, but there were several other shady and illegal goings-on that I knew about and felt compelled to be quiet about for the sake of my shitty $40k a year job. (Nothing that put another person in harm - more like shady business practices). So, yea, that world is shitty.

    Fuck that guy, and fuck the companies that shielded him.

    Reply
    • Read More
      robertogreenawkwardturtle
      11/08/19 8:38am

      a question: do you think that it is possible to have a work culture that includes going out partying/drinking/traveling to festivals and doesn’t involve harassment? or rather, what is the right format to allow for people to do what they enjoy (hanging out/going to shows/traveling to festivals) while avoiding this sort of terrible behavior?

      assuming, for the moment, that there is a work environment which isn’t run by or has at the top straight up abusers.

      Reply
    • Read More
      Ms. Anthroperobertogreen
      11/08/19 9:09am

      Sure it’s possible if the guys aren’t creeps.  So that weeds out about 99% of them.

      Reply
  • Read More
    PrimevalHummingEmily Alford
    11/07/19 9:59pm

    HR gal here. I can’t help but think that if he was fired just two days after a tweet that management already knew. They fucking knew. You can bet there are some NDAs in a locked desk. That hidden history is what let them drop the axe that fast on their failson-bestboi.

    No way was there time for an HR investigation: the public tweet was just confirmation for a bunch of shady shitweasel shit they already knew about, but had let this creep off with a ‘warning’.

    Trust me, if women know, there is also plenty of gossip to go around amongst the guys. Whisper networks happen among upper management, too. Look at their public statements of surprise and outrage with deep, deep skepticism.

    Reply
    • Read More
      TheNerdyMelPrimevalHumming
      11/08/19 9:24am

      I don’t work in HR, but I had the same suspicions that this wasn’t enough time. Thanks for confirming.

      Reply
    • Read More
      bun_up_tun_upPrimevalHumming
      11/08/19 12:04pm

      This! The scary thing is about all of this is that everybody, for the most part, already knows. We’re just divided between people with first hand knowledge, people who have heard the whisper, and people who have a very bad feeling and don’t know what to do.

      Reply
  • Read More
    Meowry Pawpins likes hamberders & covfefeEmily Alford
    11/08/19 1:50pm

    “But people get blacklisted, or they get labeled.” So instead staffers relied on the warnings and the whisper network, until such rumors became impossible to ignore.

    This is the same shit that happened with Harvey Weinstein and Matt Lauer. People knew, but thought, oh well, no one is dying, so it’s not our problem.

    Once publicly unveiled, out come the crocodile tears and assertions that the women are lying just to get attention. I especially loved Matt Lauer’s letter in which he used his family as a shield from public judgment. The guy fucking had a button under his desk so he could close his office door without getting up, and he’s out there whining that everyone thinks he’s a disgusting asshole.

    Or how about Mario Batali, who offered up a cinnamon roll recipe in his fake non-apology letter. I feel so bad about what I’ve done. Try my cinnamon roll—it’s much better than Cinnabon, I promise.

    Reply
  • Read More
    eatthecheesenicholson2Emily Alford
    11/08/19 1:59pm

    I didn’t want to talk shit about VICE since Drew is apparently there now, but my man David Carr dunked on them so hard, it’s perfect. “So you put on a safari hat and went and looked at some poop.”

    https://www.nytimes.com/video/business/100000003509105/page-one-david-carr-confronts-vice.html

    Reply
    • Read More
      Ara_Richardseatthecheesenicholson2
      11/08/19 8:12pm

      Oh fuck me Drew went to vice? Well I guess I’m totally done with him.

      Reply
    • Read More
      eatthecheesenicholson2Ara_Richards
      11/09/19 11:15am

      He posted that he originally been planning to go to SI, then they pulled out during the mass layoffs. Then he resigned from Deadspin, and I guess his GQ work died down. I hate VICE, but I really like Drew, so I’m torn.

      Reply
  • Read More
    #2 HeadbandEmily Alford
    11/07/19 6:55pm

    Oh, I thought we all knew Vice was a shitstorm?

    Reply
  • Read More
    Tool of the MatriarchyEmily Alford
    11/07/19 7:03pm

    Some of the staffers I spoke to believe Sundermann was hired, despite rumors about his behavior, because of his friendship with Andy Cohn. A member of The Fader editorial team says staffers saw Sundermann and Cohn drinking together just before he was hired, during the same time that staffers at Noisey were waiting for the results of the investigation into Sundermann.

    Fuck, I can hear that conversation.

    “These bitches are on my case, bro. The ugly sluts should appreciate a little attention, but noooooooo, they gotta be all uptight and get pissy.”

    “That sucks, bro. Why not get out of that dump and come work with me!”

    “Bro, sweet! Thanks!”

    “No problem, bro.”

    Fuck abusers.

    (The Fader’s email) also suggested that the persistence of workplace sexual harassment and assault could be attributed, at least in part, to employees that failed to report incidents to HR.

    And fuck victim blaming enablers, too.

    Reply
  • Read More
    jcn-txctEmily Alford
    11/07/19 7:48pm

    Sometimes embarrassment, humiliation or loss of revenue are some of the best motivators that force individuals and companies into action.

    Reply
  • Read More
    ThirdAmendmentManEmily Alford
    11/07/19 8:14pm

    It's good that people had the courage to finally call up the abusive behaviour on Twitter. If only other media companies did as well...

    Reply
  • Read More
    LaBrava RadioEmily Alford
    11/07/19 11:52pm

    Additionally, Sundermann’s girlfriend of four years, Chloe Campion, is the sister of Thobey Campion, head of publishing for Vice, and worked for the company as a producer from 2011 until June 2018, when she was hired as an executive producer at Fader and was the direct supervisor of at least one woman who told co-workers at Fader she had been assaulted by Sundermann.

    It’s less of a mystery how this guy managed to not suffer any repercussions for assaulting women at two different companies when you read that.

    No one I interviewed gave any indication that Campion knew about inappropriate behavior

    lol, please.

    Reply