Apple CEO Steve Jobs Slammed as ‘Big Brother’ and a Censor in Video
The Dark Lord Commands You!
Apple’s CEO, Steve Jobs, has always been an innovator and a forward thinker. Back in November, Apple decided to pull an app called the “Manhattan Declaration” after receiving nearly 7,000+ signatures from a Change.org petition in protest. The app in question had been approved by Apple originally but its stance against a woman’s right to have an abortion and gay marriage upset quite a few people. Roll the attack ads against Steve Jobs.
The whole point of the app was to get people to sign a declaration stating that they were in favor of marriage being defined as only between a man and a woman. A couple of weeks later, the group behind the Manhattan Declaration (the group goes by the same name) have released a YouTube video decrying Steve Jobs as “ironic” instead of “iconic” now and labels him a “censor” and a “big brother.” Ouch.
Steve Jobs is called “Big Brother” in a new video:
Really now? I could have mistaken this video for a political ad on television. To be fair, I looked through the Manhattan Declaration website when I first wrote about Apple pulling the app and concluded that it’s far less offensive (well within the limits of freedom of speech) than the majority of the things on the Internet. But that’s not the point. The point is that Apple has a right to determine what is allowed to be distributed through its iTunes App Store. Agree or disagree with pro-life, pro-choice, gay marriage or marriage being defined as only between a man or a woman but you have to understand that Apple wants no part in the mess.
Sure, Apple allows gay rights groups to distribute apps through iTunes and banning the Manhattan Declaration app looks like Apple is taking sides. But things are not that simple. Being on the pro-gay marriage side of the debate is the safe stance now. That’s just the way the country is leaning. With Don’t Ask Don’t Tell looking like it will be repealed eventually, Apple would much rather be labeled as a censor than against people’s rights. It’s good business.
So should Steve Jobs consider a run at the 2016 Presidential election? He’s already getting smeared in political looking advertisements. Besides, he has been called the “messiah” by Apple fan boys a heck of a lot longer than President Obama has been by conservatives.
Let me know what you think of the video and this giant mess of censorship, rights and not offending people who are your customers.
Tags: apple itunes, Steve Jobs, censorship
I completely agree with both of these posts (“Larry Martin” and “Anonymous”) – well said!
And even if Apple is just considering this from a cold-blooded PR/marketing standpoint – which customer base would they rather alienate? Less than 5% of the population who are gay? Or more than 50% of the population who care deeply about keeping marriage defined as one man and one woman (agree or disagree, the simple fact is that every state that has allowed their citizens to vote on marriage – 31 and counting – has voted to preserve marriage. Many overwhelmingly. Even liberal states like Hawaii and California).
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I completely agree with both of these posts (“Larry Martin” and “Anonymous”) – well said!
And even if Apple is just considering this from a cold-blooded PR/marketing standpoint – which customer base would they rather alienate? 50% of the population who care deeply about keeping marriage defined as one man and one woman (agree or disagree, the simple fact is that every state that has allowed their citizens to vote on marriage – 31 and counting – has voted to preserve marriage. Many overwhelmingly. Even liberal states like Hawaii and California).
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I like it! It shows how much a hypocrite he and his company is. Apple is not a “Fair & Balanced” company. This may come back to haunt Steve Jobs.
Android is already kicking Apple’s butt. This time next year Android will have passed up iphone sales worldwide. I hope this encourages people to NOT use the iphone and use an Android, Blackberry, or Windows7 phone instead.
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In all fairness, Apple needs to allow the NOM app for the following basic reasons:
Just like gays found the NOM offensive, Christians likewise find the gay apps offensive, except Christians didn’t ask to have gays apps pulled.
Secondly, everyone has a fundamental right to express disagreement and or an opposing philosophical view. Those who who hold to homosexuality don’t hide and openly express their disagreement with Christians on the definition of sex. They have a right to express that, and those that disagree with homosexuality should too. Fair?????
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