Zuckerberg blasted for tone-deaf 'magical' VR tour of Puerto Rico
Transcript
Critics are blasting Mark Zuckerberg for a tone-deaf virtual reality video that toured hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico.
The Facebook CEO demonstrated the Facebook Spaces product.
It lets users make cartoon avatars of themselves to talk in virtual reality.
Zuckerberg stood alongside Rachel Franklin, the head of social VR for Facebook.
And in poor taste called the technology magical as they gave a high five to each other in front of flooded homes.
One of things that's really magical about virtual reality is you can get the feeling you're really in a place, right.
I probably should mentioned this before but Rachel and I actually.
Aren't even, I think, in the same building in the physical world.>> Exactly.
We're in totally different places.
I mean.
[INAUDIBLE] It feel like we're in the same place and we're making eye contact and talking to each other.
Yeah, but we can high five if we want to.
Yeah, high five.
And, so now, you know we are looking around and you know it You know it feels like we're really here in Puerto Rico.
The billionaire was slammed by users on social media for looking completely out of touch and for exploiting the disaster to show off the technology while people are still suffering from the damage of Hurricane Maria.
Zuckerberg also spoke about how the company is donating to help relief efforts.
And then the two cartoons decided to fly off to somewhere less depressing.
What, so do you wanna go teleport somewhere else?
: Yeah, maybe back to California?
Alright, let's do it.
If only everyone there could magically transport to another place, right?
Zuckerberg will discuss more virtual reality news at the Oculus Connect developer's conference going on now.
Now.
The Facebook-owned Oculus will be touting reasons why consumers buy a gadget to put on their face.
And why developers should make programs for it.
I'm Bridget Carey, for more coverage on Oculus Connect head to CNet.com.
