Sunday, July 5, 2009

File Under: Corporate Speak

IN A TRAGIC TURN OF EVENTS LAST NIGHT, a monorail train at Disney World crashed into another monorail train, killing the driver. It's horrible news, which was handled with an appropriate amount of sensitivity, by Mike Griffin, Disney's vice president for public affairs. Oh wait! I meant lack of sensitivity!

"Today we mourn the loss of our fellow cast member," read the statement from Griffin.

Seriously? Cast member?

A man was just killed on your monorail? Do you really have to insist upon using your corporate-decreed euphemism for "employee"? I know, in the make-believe world of your theme park, it is important to refer to employees as cast members. I'm sure you've had meetings and sent out memos about it. I'm sure there have been discussions even about whether or not it should be hyphenated. (Apparently, it should not be.) Managers are probably reprimanded if they say "employee" instead of "cast member".

I mean, seriously. Cast member! In a public statement of mourning!

That's a whole new level of douchebaggery. So congratulations to you Mike Griffin, and also to you Disney World, you guys are awesome!

2 comments:

K said...

trust me- at least 25 memos bounced back/forth through TWDC corporate before it was announced. With multiple rewrites. G*d bless mousy bureaucracy.

Unknown said...

was he texting?