This week, Apple CEO Tim Cook ‘came out,’ though it really wasn’t that. Cook wasn’t hiding anything or trapped in any closets, but he did write an essay in Businessweek making his sexuality known. The result is that Cook is now one of the highest-ranking executives, and the first Fortune 500 CEO, to publicly state that he (or she) is gay.
So what’s right about this? The fact that Cook didn’t have to ‘come out’ in some headline-breaking disclosure shows just how far this country has travelled. There isn’t a Board that’s panicking, there aren’t consumers who will stop buying Apple products. In fact, it’s more likely that people will buy more Apple stuff, because of what Apple seems to represent along the lines of equality, open employment, and acceptance of different lifestyle choices.Steve Jobs cared about making perfect products and himself. But Cook seems to care about so much more. “The company I am so fortunate to lead has long advocated for human rights and equality for all,” Cook wrote. “We’ve taken a strong stand in support of a workplace equality bill before Congress, just as we stood for marriage equality in our home state of California. And we spoke up in Arizona when that state’s legislature passed a discriminatory bill targeting the gay community.”
“We’ll continue to fight for our values, and I believe that any CEO of this incredible company, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation, would do the same. And I will personally continue to advocate for equality for all people until my toes point up.”
But is that what Apple is really about? It’s a worthwhile question given that Apple now gainfully employs Dr. Dre, one of the most homophobic, misogynistic, and racist public figures. Apple is paying Dr. Dre a large salary and praising him lavishly; they’ve even boosted his net worth to about $800 million. “We think these guys are a rare talent,” Cook gushed to the media about Dre and executive Jimmy Iovine immediately after the $3 billion buyout of Beats, of which Dre is a co-founder.
Apple has subsequently incorporated Dre into the Apple culture, paling around with the rapper during an Ice Bucket Challenge and other employee pep rallies. In the process, Cook is condoning a man that has used his tremendous impact on culture to breed hatred against not just gays, but women, Jews, and other marginalized groups.
When asked about his feeling on gays, Dr. Dre famously told MTV’s Kurt Loder, “I don’t really care about those kind of people.”
But this goes way beyond gangster rap imagery and ‘faggot’ one-liners. Dre has a disgusting history when it comes to women, most notoriously beating up Dee Barnes within an inch of her life after the MTV host publicly criticized N.W.A. Here’s the description from Rolling Stone’s Alan Light, written shortly after the incident occurred in the early 90s.
“According to a statement issued by Barnes, Dre picked her up and ‘began slamming her face and the right side of her body repeatedly against a wall near the stairway’ as his bodyguard held off the crowd. After Dre tried to throw her down the stairs and failed, he began kicking her in the ribs and hands. She escaped and ran into the women’s restroom. Dre followed her and ‘grabbed her from behind by the hair and proceeded to punch her in the back of the head.’ Finally, Dre and his bodyguard ran from the building.”
That was part of a lawsuit that Dre eventually settled. But he refused to apologize. Instead, he dismissed the incident and boasted about it.
And Dre himself says: “People talk all this shit, but you know, somebody fucks with me, I’m gonna fuck with them. I just did it, you know. Ain’t nothing you can do now by talking about it. Besides, it ain’t no big thing – I just threw her through a door.”
All of which stands in stark contrast to the idealism Tim Cook expressed in his Businessweek essay. And until Dre is fired from Apple, these sorts of statements by Cook will stand as mere platitudes:
“When I arrive in my office each morning, I’m greeted by framed photos of Dr. King and Robert F. Kennedy. I don’t pretend that writing this puts me in their league. All it does is allow me to look at those pictures and know that I’m doing my part, however small, to help others. We pave the sunlit path toward justice together, brick by brick. This is my brick.”
Paul, do you have a secret wish to be TMZ?
Thank you! It sure seems like it!
Paul – Thank You. When I read the headline I thought, “oh good lord, now what?” But, you make solid points. If Tim Cook is not going to “keep quiet” then he should also look in his own house (Apple/Dre). Maybe it’s time for Dre to publicly acknowledge and apologize for his previous words and deeds, if he in fact has sincere regret.
Paul is a bully,
There are no rappers in the tech
Industry.
He is trying to embarrass dre in front of his colleagues.
As for Tim people will have strong reaction but mostly from
Women who liked him. At the same time it should b a big deal.
Paul is a google feind, google is working with cops who
Are working w/ prison which are burdening local companies
With tax and destroying customers.
What an awful thing to publish to your readers. I’ve been a reader since 2010, but I think it’s time I unsubscribe from DMN’s feeds. Get a grip.
You are going to beat this dead horse until it gets up and runs away, aren’t you?
Particularly dumb comment since Dr. Dre is widely known to be closeted. One of the stupidest posts you have written and I thought the Ke$ha headline last week couldn’t be beat. Really diminishing your site with your stupid angry white guy editorial thoughts.
He is bisexual. Easy-e outed him. He’s dead. Tupac outed him. He’s dead.
Still waiting for something constructive…
Your site has got torches and pitchforks out for Dre. Fine.
You’re like a dog with a bone about it. Great. Whatevs.
I can’t stand him, either, but the “gay community” (who you are now lecturing) fought (and lost) the Eminem/Dre/Axl battles back in the 90s, when the music business was so powerful that it simply steamrolled over everything. Eminem sold 5 million units. GnR sold gazillions. So, the same business this site keeps playing “Weekend at Bernie’s” with, in hopes that it will someday re-animate, is up to its old tricks. How upset should we get for you?
I have a spare teeny tiny violin. I will play a waltz for you.
I assume a CNN screengrab is fair use. It certainly should be.
But aren’t unauthorized lyric sites a big thorn in the side of publishers? Did you give that website hits? Are Eminem’s lyrics now licensed as Creative Commons content? Is the website’s arrangement and presentation of them the same?
(Things that make you go “Hmmmmm.”, since we’re apparently back in the 90s again.)
Hmmm… Genius has licensing agreements
So you think you’re good under TOS “User Content”, 1(iv), eh?
LOLz.
Genius Content: Except for your User Content, the Service and all materials therein or transferred thereby, including, without limitation, software, images, text, graphics, illustrations, logos, patents, trademarks, service marks, copyrights, photographs, audio, videos, music, and User Content belonging to other Users (the “Genius Content”), and all Intellectual Property Rights related thereto, are the exclusive property of Genius and its licensors (including other Users who post User Content to the Service). Except as explicitly provided herein, nothing in these Terms shall be deemed to create a license in or under any such Intellectual Property Rights, and you agree not to sell, license, rent, modify, distribute, copy, reproduce, transmit, publicly display, publicly perform, publish, adapt, edit or create derivative works from any Genius Content. Use of the Genius Content for any purpose not expressly permitted by these Terms is strictly prohibited.
Seriously…. Dr. Dre is/was/can be an asshole. We all get it. You can’t stand what he did, can’t stand that Apple has him as an employee and says nothing about it, and probably can’t stand his “music”.
Anything else interesting that you have up your sleeve to go ahead and get attention? Or will you be actually reporting Digital Music News like you sometimes do well (yes, at times your site has great news even from you but seriously, take a look at the mirror or pause for a moment while you’re writing this and consider, maybe I should put this on a “Blog” of my own personal opinions rather than a self proclaimed “News” site.
In terms of the gay community, I am not one but it would be interesting and productive to actually see what the gay community thinks of a CEO of a major company coming out as Gay. Then go ahead and ask straight people the same question and write about that rather than “The gay community should be ashamed because of Dr. Dre and this and that”.
To close, personally, you have an extremely cocky Los Angeles attitude. Your own readers who basically pay your bills by driving up your traffic with unique visits pay your bills and you in a sense insult them with a “Waiting for something productive” comment that is of course meant to stir people up but truly, make you look like an individual that feels is above each and everyone of us that read, and will no longer read your website.
Hope that is constructive.
What you probably don’t know is Paul Resnikoff made $38 Million off some search engine startup in the 00’s as it was tanking. Then when onto losing more than $20 Mil on his failed telcom and cable startup for 3rd and 2nd world countries.
“There were many costly mistakes that were really my fault, but I was too naive or proud or had a conscience really about paying off corrupt governments to lay some pipes and build towers. But then I realized it didn’t matter if we played ball or not because there would always be more to pay for the privilege, eventually their drills won over ours even though we were creating more jobs and building a better infrastructure. We had the strategy and crews and expertise, they had guns and armies pointed in our general direction and it didn’t matter about the margins.”
blah blah blah blah…
“We were the Americans and European outsiders, and it’s really hard to set up roots if the government is unstable and looking for a paycheck.”
nice work Paulie!
Interesting about Paul. What is your source of this info? Please post it.
Paul, any comment on this?
If that is true, it would make Paul Batman. Rich guy who doesn’t need the money anymore stands up for broke artists being eaten alive by powerful Internet sharks…
Paul is right to point out this hypocrisy now more than ever after Tim Cook came out and made these statements.
Can people who beat up women, brag about it, settle in court with them, eventually be forgiven? Absolutely! But only after they admit their guilt, repent, and make the situation right. It would appear that Dre has done none of those things (although, to be fair, we don’t know if the settlement was enough to ‘make it right’ with Dee Barnes). Certainly, he has never made a public statement that suggests any of those things.
If you’ve never been beaten up by Dre or anyone else, how can you possibly weigh in on this issue? If Dee Barnes were your sister, would you be ok with Dre being a highly paid exec at Apple in light of the comments Tim Cook just made?
Tim Cook made the call to shower Dre with riches for Beats. It was probably a difficult call for him in light of all of the good things he would get in the deal (perceived or otherwise). But to stand up and say, essentially, that he is a man ‘of principal’ and that he will fight until he is dead for the rights of individuals, while at the same time paying hundreds of millions to a women-beater is hollow at best.
Tim Cook, if you are listening, please make this right. Act on your statements. Demand that Dre make a public apology and repent and make it right. Only then can you taken seriously in your ‘convictions’.
Thank you!
The headline is a bit much, but it got attention. Yet everyone here who’s not gay is bitching because it’s “old news” and “Paul won’t let it go” and it’s “not news”. I find the cries of “let it go already” to be the most offensive thing here.
Also, as a female…. Dr. Dre BEATING a woman and BRAGGING about it and going on to be an Apple CEO is DEFINITELY news. I love Apple products but jesus christ…
> The headline is a bit much, but it got attention.
“Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?”
> I find the cries of “let it go already” to be the most offensive thing here.
I find the hiding behind gay apron strings the most offensive thing here. Cynical exploitation to draw more attention to this site’s hobby horse. Wasn’t anybody embarrassed by the end of this “article”?
Dr. Dre is a legend. You are worth nada. zilch zero get out loser
Once again a stupid post about gays, Apple and Dr. Dre.
Paul you suck!
Aren’t several parts that Apple uses to build their products manufactured under sweat shop-like conditions in foreign countries? What about their rights? That was happening way before Dr. Dre was part of anything and continues today.
Paul is one of those ivy league silver spoon assholes who never felt comfortable commingling with common folk. The idiot couldn’t walk two steps in Dre’s shoes.
Resnikoff, you should stick to blowing your french horn and practicing your backswing but please shut your f’n mouth about the non-elite social classes and pop culuture you never grew to understand. 9 out of 10 smart people from California dislike you and the pollution of DMN. I’m petitioning you to leave CA and move to Germany.
“9 out of 10 smart people from California dislike you ” You mean the “smart” CEOs of Grooveshark and Google/Youtube, right ? 🙂
Well Jay, you can say whatever you want, and so can I. The difference is that I have the balls to put my name on it.
Like someone form the music business telling gays what they should be ashamed of.
Maybe you should go anon. Shit like this lives on 4evah.
Like someone from the music business lecturing gays on what they should be ashamed of.
Maybe you should go anon. This shit lives 4evah.
(Pace Joan Rivers: “The music business is trash, darling. Your money has blood on it.”
Someone in the music business lecturing gays on what they should be ashamed of.
Maybe you should go anon. This crap lives 4evah now.
Me, I’m with paraphrasing Joan Rivers: “The music business? The music business is trash, darling. Your money has blood on it.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hm30l8sqlQw
notice how he highlights the, ‘Hey’…
‘Now’?
Ok Paul, time for you to come out of the TMZ closet 😉
Now, let’s see this under an different angle. I don’t care much for Dr Dre ( and I wasn’t even aware of all that stuff about him ), but isn’t actually a sweet irony that he has now a gay boss ? ” Yo Dawg, how does it feel to be working for a “faggot” , homie ?”
Ironic turn of events. Dr Dre working for Tim Cook is actually a win in my book.
What is the point of these articles? Clearly the large majority of people speaking out that come to your site don’t enjoy these types of post. Is there an end game goal here? I think we’ve passed the “awareness” stage on your views on Dr. Dre. Are you wanting him to get fired? Give an apology? Maybe you should reach out to Apple about your issues or other news sources than making this/your “news” site your personal soapbox to stand on and preach your views on what is an isn’t acceptable ethnically in business. I know it’s hard to tell from all the corrupt news outlets in the world but originally news was there to give people just the facts and let them make up their own mind on things. In my opinion you’ve been doing these type of “click-bait” articles more and more now and your business ethics aren’t any better than your personal views of Tim Cook’s.
Do you have any comments from this millennium that discuss Dre being anti gay? Perhaps his stance is not the same as it was nearly 30 years ago. You know, when he was basically a teenager.
The world has changed, he’s probably changed with it.
Your article is pointless until you validate with modern quotes.
I feel this is akin to an NFL owner espousing the morals and high standards they hold for themselves while employing a player/coach/high-profile persona who has a record of beating women, defiling homosexuals, and/or using drugs, etc.
We’ve seen how messy the NFL and some teams have handled those situations, but perhaps compared to an organization like Apple, they should be lauded. While this post is inflammatory, it raises a good point. A high profile company/organization beating its chest about its high standards and morals, while employing a high-profile persona who very clearly clashes with that message. Which is it? Do they actually care about equality and caring for others? Or just selling product no matter who helps them do that?
I don’t care about gays, but I am sick of every opportunistic holier-than-thou maggot doing the queerio happy dance on my front lawn.
Gays just need to get on with their damn lives and STFU already.
As Malcolm McLaren said so many years ago (from memory): “You tell people Hollywood is dying and they say ‘What a shame. I loved Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, etc.’. You tell people the music business is dying and they say ‘Good riddance’.”
What does this have to do with music?
Paul is a sick guy.
That is how racist are sick in the mind.
They think racism will save you from laziness.
Tim does not want you and never will so you’ll
Just have to keep bending for tmz.
U love the prison system cause u don’t have to ask.
You are the King of sick.
Paul, are you working to get some kind of update to these Dre stories? Lots of people’s cultural views have “evolved” over the past decade or two–from the President & the courts to the general public at large–and it seems like these stories are only dealing with problems from the 90s.
I think we can all agree that Dr. Dre was incredibly homophobic, misogynistic, and racist in the 90s, but does that reflect his current views?
Heavy trolling.
This site is a joke now.
Paul,
I’m a gay man, and I’m really proud of Tim Cook. I resent that you stand at a proverbial high lectern, and feel entitled to lecture a community and minority in which I belong, and to my knowledge, you do not. Have you ever thought about writing a headline that says “The Black Community Should Be Ashamed of Dr. Dre?” Probably not, because that’s just not right. However, you’re totally cool with calling out the gay community for Tim Cook.
Tim coming out is one more about another powerful person being visible as a gay man, and breaking down misconceptions and stereotypes. Your article tries to invalidate a good thing that just happened because of some racist vendetta against Dr. Dre.
It’s obvious you have an axe to grind with Dre. He’s said some sh*tty things about the gay community in the past. However, people are allowed to evolve, and change their opinion of who gay people are. Maybe knowing Tim Cook for awhile was the impetus for that evolution. By the same token, people are allowed and have changed the course of their lives for the better.
It seems the course of your site has gone the opposite.
Paul’s right. Tim Cook has a responsibility, to make his organization what he SAYS it is. Otherwise, it’s bullshit and every Apple employee and customer knows it is just that. If Dre really evolved and changed so much, let him tell us this, let him apologize and renounce beating the crap out of a woman and gay-bashing, otherwise he’s still benefiting from it.
So there you go. Waving the flag and saying ‘I’m Gay Everyone!’ does nothing if it’s hallow.
“iTunes customers should be ashamed of Apple’s labor history in China.”
FTFY.
I’m sorry at what point did they make a law saying that you had to be a fan of gay people or their lifestyle?
Everybody has a right to live their own life as they choose, and they shouldn’t be attacked because of that choice if its not hurting others.
That does not mean we all have to like each other or agree with each other’s lifestyle choices.
There’s already been a non stop barrage by the media to force gay life into the mainstream so what else does the gay community want?? You forced it on us and won congrats. Doesn’t mean we have to like it.
This thread has lots of people that aren’t “regulars” on the DMN site. It’s both cool and weird to see this many Dre PR folks participating.
On the one hand, the folks supporting Dre are making a good point – time heals all, and you don’t know the man, so why hate so much?
On the other is the more gnarly argument – If Dre beat up women in the past, but never apologized for it, should he still be judged for it?
To the latter I would say the following to all of the Dre PR folks scrambling on this thread (you know who you are):
Imagine that Dre beat up your sister, bragged about it, settled in court about it, but never apologized to the public about it. How would you feel?
How quickly would you write things that suggest we shouldn’t ‘hate a man for his past’, and ‘you aren’t important Paul Resnikoff, so you should shut up.’?
I don’t know Dre at all. I suspect that he is a different man from when he beat up Dee Barnes and then bragged about it repeatedly. That said, I can’t find any public remorse about it from him. Apple shouldn’t hold him out as a member of their team. Dre should simply admit that he made a mistake, convince us that he is a different man than he was back then, and we can all move on.
I am flabbergasted as to why he doesn’t just do this admission so we can all quickly get past this and it won’t be an issue. The delay makes one think that Dre actually believes that ‘the bitch deserved it’, instead of ‘it was a mistake I made and will not make again’.
Seems really simple to me. Either he hates himself for doing it, or he is glad he did. Which is it?
Its great that he is gay…. now if he could only run a company I would feel better. As a business owner who has moved everything to mac, we now have to look at moving back to windows. Tim is a fool and possibly the worst CEO in the history of business. While apple has continued to do well, the iPhone 6 is a disaster – most of the features do not work, and where are the new laptops, other new products? Oh, the watch … lets face it, this is another Jobs project that he inherited. I cannot be more unhappy with my MAC products.
Complete idiots … that would be us for buying into this sham. Back to windows. I really hope the Apple board starts to actually look at this seriously and GET RID OF TIM!!!!!
Tim needs to get his obsession with sex out of the place… that is the business area… who gives a damn about his orgasms?
Why does anyone give a damn about how another gets an orgasm???
As always, things are not as simple as they seem. Dr dre is fucking tim cook. Tim cook is liking the dick. And dr dre being from the streets was able to get a good deal out of him using his street smart
Yeah, the headline is inflammatory, but the content is SPOT ON! Thank you for saying exactly what needs to be said. Dee Barnes isn’t the only victim in the story — https://medium.com/@byroncrawford/beatings-by-dr-dre-3c8e62bec8f1
Someone needs to tell Cook that boys don’t kiss boys and the poopie hole is dirty and stinky.
Awesome article. Ignore these trolls! You made a great point Paul. And there is nothing racist about pointing out Dr. Dre’s terrible hate for certain groups.
You wrong bout there being no consumers who will stand by their principles. I was going to buy the watch, and now I’m not just skipping it but all Apple products. My personal boycott isn’t because I hate gays. Rather, it’s because I’m sick of corporations pushing sociopolitical agendas. Apple can go suck it, and now I know they like it.
Why don’t you go and read your book of fairytales, you pathetic cretin
What are you even talking about? Dre is definitely, 100 percent homosexual.