In new Microsoft ad, a female boss is no fun
In the second installment of its campaign for Office 365, Microsoft seems to suggest that female bosses don't take well to silly boys in the office on Segways.
Unintended consequences can emerge with all the welcome surprise of uninvited uncles at weddings.
You say something without (necessarily) meaning it to quite come out as it did. Then you're painted as someone you may not recognize.
This happened to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who first suggested that women shouldn't ask for a raise and then "="" shortcode="link" asset-type="article" uuid="3c4b693d-32a8-45e4-888d-e1604a3085b2" slug="microsoft-ceo-says-he-was-inarticulate-on-pay-for-women-in-tech" link-text="intimated that he'd been " section="news" title="Microsoft CEO says he was 'inarticulate' on pay for women in tech" edition="us" data-key="link_bulk_key" api="{"id":"3c4b693d-32a8-45e4-888d-e1604a3085b2","slug":"microsoft-ceo-says-he-was-inarticulate-on-pay-for-women-in-tech","contentType":null,"edition":"us","topic":{"slug":"tech-industry"},"metaData":{"typeTitle":null,"hubTopicPathString":"Tech Industry","reviewType":null},"section":"news"}"> " -- the nicer cousin of having "misspoken."
Now along comes an ad campaign for Office 365, in which boys are boys and their boss is a woman who displays all the humor of a pallbearer with indigestion.
In the first ad, her boy employees enjoyed sending data by remote helicopter. She disabused them of the need.
In the new episode, they ride around the office on Segways, while sharing documents.
Does this make them enlightened tech nostalgics? Or does it merely make them annoying little children who deserve a spank and a cookie-free month?
Equally, what does the ad say about the boss? Does it reinforce the twisted notion that women bosses are mean? Or is it heartening to see a female boss who looks at these immature boys from Toyland and thinks: "Why do I have to put up with these halfwits?"
Some might be perturbed at the distasteful, resentful looks that at least two of the three boys give their boss. Or might this be a prelude to unfolding humor in the future?
Who can wait for episode three?