I was at Starbucks on Pico/Robertson this morning at 7 a.m. and I swear I saw Sam Zell (owner of the LA Times) in his biker gear chatting with a couple of smart middle-aged guys. I didn’t want to interrupt to take a picture or to inquire if it was really Sam Zell.
Last week at the L.A. Times, Zell said: “Everyone likes pussy. It’s un-American not to like pussy.”
Perhaps I’m jaded, but that seems to be to be about the least controversial thing an honest man could say on the topic of strip clubs.
Kevin Roderick writes on LAObserved:
Regarding those strip club ads: I’m told it might be awhile before the Times actually runs any ads from what Zell calls "gentlemen’s clubs." Seems other advertisers let the paper know it’s them or us.
There was a high-level editorial meeting today addressing concerns of some Times staffers about Zell’s comments. I’ve yet to hear a Times woman, current or past, praise Zell’s style. Maybe they are out there. Conversely, I’m told that some supervisors reminded their departments that, even though the boss can be rude and crude, it’s still not OK for non-billionaires to throw around sexual language that creates a hostile work environment.
And: I’ve also yet to hear from anybody who thinks Zell was not dissembling in this morning’s email claiming his sailor’s mouth was an act to make people do their jobs better. He’s off to a great start — they think he’s a jerk and dishonest. But as one Times person said, "he’s all we’ve got — he is our future."
Kevin Roderick posts this email:
From: Arthur, John
Sent: Monday, February 11, 2008 5:21 PM
Subject: Sam and his languageLast week you may have encountered some colorful uses of the lexicon from Sam Zell that we are not used to hearing at the Times. As Sam pointed out in his "mea culpa" note to us today, he does this to make a point and in an attempt to change culture quickly. But of course we still have the same expectations at the Times of what is correct in the workplace. It’s not good judgment to use profane or hostile language and we can’t tolerate that. Looking at pornography on the job, unless in pursuit of a story, also is not good judgment. We need to maintain an open workplace where everyone feels free to contribute without fear of discrimination or threat of harassment. In short, nothing changes; the fundamental rules of decorum and decency apply. As Russ Newton, the Senior VP of Operations, observed in a note to his managers, Sam is a force of a nature; the rest of us are bound by the normal conventions of society.
