Susan Estrich: 'Lack of Diversity' at Apple Caused 'iPad' Name

NewsBusters ^ | February 3, 2010 | P.J. Gladnick

[PJ-Comix]

There are some stories that make you cover your eyes with your hand and groan. And this column by Susan Estrich about what she thinks is the poorly named Apple iPad is definitely one of those. Here is Estrich putting on her feminist cap and making a very long stretch on blaming the name "iPad" on a "lack of diversity" at Apple:

Is there a woman in America who did not laugh, or at least roll her eyes, the minute she heard that the newest, hottest tablet computer from one of America's most ingenuous companies was going to sound like a feminine hygiene product? The iKotex is what most people I know are calling it, with apologies to Kotex.

So where were those women? The short answer is that, plainly, they were not in the room. Go to Apple's home page and look at the pictures and bios of key executives. I'll tell you who you'll find: Steve, Timothy, Scott, Jonathan, Ron, Bob, Peter, Mark, Philip, Bertrand and Bruce. All white, all men. If there is a "top" woman at Apple, at best she's No. 12.

[agrace]

bwahahahahahaha

I don’t need to read another post all day long.

[CMAC51]

I work for a major computer company in a group of 20 men. The feminine product joke was quite prevelant.

[MarkL]

Not the first thought of "iKotex"... I thought iPad was a reference to the "New" replacement for the "Steno Pad," since that seems to be what it's for, plus a whole lot more.

Mark

[TET1968]

Bingo, Go directly to the head of the class....FR has been the #1 target of Ellie White clones for the past few years.

[Iron Munro]

She would have named it the iRod.

[TexasFreeper2009]

If you want the best, you hire the best, you dont look at their sex or skin color.

If it turns out that the best are all white men, then that's that.

Otherwise you turn out with a company run like this administration.

[MortMan]

iKotex (iRobot?) would be the iPon.

You know - Once iPon a time...

[InvisibleChurch]

Why do feminists ALWAYS think it’s about their v@gin@s?

[MortMan]

I though the “applet” had a lot of possibilities... ;-P

[Oberon]

Did you hear that Apple was releasing an app for software pirates? It's called iPatch.

[MortMan]

The same reason men do...

[jennyjenny]

"Is there a woman in America who did not laugh, or at least roll her eyes, the minute she heard that the newest, hottest tablet computer from one of America's most ingenuous companies was going to sound like a feminine hygiene product?"

jennyjenny raises her hand. The thought never entered my mind.

[La Lydia]

iPing.

[InvisibleChurch]

Down, boy! Down!

[LibertyRocks]

WOW! I totally forgot about that sketch! Too funny! :)

[jimfree]

Rush shared that he had joked about it with his staff on the announcement.

[MrB]

I’ve noticed a trend here.

The females are loudly protesting that the thought never entered their minds,

and the males are saying “I can see why the association was made”.

[Mad Dawgg]

"Did you hear that Apple was releasing an app for software pirates? It's called iPatch."

No but I heard that Optometrists are eagerly await the new Apple gadget that caters to their profession. The new iChart should hit the market in early 2011.

[Salgak]

iPoop. Crap smarter. . .

[matginzac]

Never! I thought it was funny when Rush did a play on it - but yee gods! The way some folks think!!!!!!!