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Jeffrey Mezger is caught berating a grieving Kathy Griffin with the most horrifying words imaginable. His employer does little other than hire a crisis management firm.
Apparently in Trump's America, a CEO can berate his neighbor with homophobic, sexist slurs, embarrass his company and employees, and face little to no repercussions.
Jeffrey Mezger was caught on tape this week hurling the "C" word at LGBT ally Kathy Griffin, his neighbor in a ritzy L.A. neighborhood. Just as appalling is that Mezger -- furious that Griffin called the LAPD over a raucous party at Mezger's home -- also called Griffin a "bald dyke." Griffin shaved her head to support her sister's battle with cancer; a woman who died days before Mezger unloaded on the comedian.
After calls for a boycott of KB -- one of the nation's largest home builders -- the company announced it was cutting Mezger's bonuses by 25 percent; that was after an official statement victim-blamed Griffin for the treatment she received. As the L.A. Times reported, Mezger hasn't even received a bonus in three years, and when he did it was for $125,000. Mezger reportedly makes $9 million annually.
The Advocate was contacted by Sitrick & Co., a crisis management firm that spins colossal screw-ups like Mezger's. They emailed us a legalese statement about the bonus situation, which didn't clarify anything. When we asked if the Times got the punishment wrong, and whether Mezger would face further repercussions, like being asked to attend anger management classes or donate to a women's or LGBT charity, we were met with silence.
So Mezger basically loses no money, or an infinitesimal amount compared to his net worth, and won't even be asked to cut a check to Emily's List or The Task Force. KB said that Mezger at least apologized to Griffin. Where's his apology to his customers and staff? Where's the public denunciation of those words? There was none. Nice message to send to your female and LGBT employees, KB; they must feel really appreciated.
The bad behavior of powerful, white, straight men -- think Health Secretary Tom Price flying on private jets as he tries to steal health insurance from millions -- continues unabated. Let's not forget that Mezger quoted Trump in his tirade, basically telling her that our sexist, anti-LGBT president put her in her place. Who needs a woman president, right?
