In the 678,976th example of why you can't simply say anything you want as a manager, I present the recent example of MSNBC news reporter David Schuster, who recently accused the Clinton campaign of "pimping out" Chelsea Clinton. From the Baltimore Sun:
"David Shuster, the television news anchor who suggested on air the other day that the Clinton family had "pimped out'' daughter Chelsea in its campaign for Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential nomination, has been temporarily suspended from all NBC News broadcasts.
MSNBC announced that it had temporarily suspended anchor Shuster from all NBC news broadcasts — except to offer his on-air apology for what he said about Chelsea Clinton.
Shuster had outraged the Clinton campaign by saying that the campaign had "pimped out" the Clintons' daughter when they had her place phone calls to party superdelegates on her mother's behalf. In a conference call with reporters, Clinton communications director Howard Wolfson on Friday excoriated Shuster and called the comment "beneath contempt.''
Here's the lesson for managers, HR pros and yes, commentators. Words like "pimp" have been mainstreamed to a large degree. That doesn't mean you won't be judged harshly if you choose to use them.
Sure, MTV can offer up fare like "Pimp my Ride", but that's a media company pushing the envelope using the term to describe a vehicle - not a person.
As a manager, HR pro or media personality, every time you get edgy with others listening, watching, or filming, there's a high likelihood you'll be judged critically.
Maybe you deserve it, maybe you don't.
Doesn't matter. Especially in the digital age, where flippant remarks one morning in the parking lot can end up on youtube by noon....
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