Leibish email--Once you go black

[partgypsy]

I only recently found out the meaning of Netflix and chill, and I'm mortified that I'm sure I used it with both my coworkers and kids. In fact it was my older child who let me know what it actually meant.

 

[missy]

I only recently found out the meaning of Netflix and chill, and I'm mortified that I'm sure I used it with both my coworkers and kids. In fact it was my older child who let me know what it actually meant.

Ok so I have no clue and afraid to google what it means. We live in a society where there are so many hidden meanings.

 

[redwood66]

I just had to and it is really not that bad as goofy euphemisms go. I never use the word chill in any other context but the refrigerator type so I probably wouldn't accidentally use it. That's just a bit funny @partgypsy and sorry to be giggling but I am laughing with you not at you. Don't be mortified because I think that is the intention of the millenial use. I am trying to remember covert sayings we had in the 70's for things that were not what they really meant. Can't seem to come up with any right now.

 

[azstonie]

Lebish is not in America.
They are in Israel.

Saying they made an honest mistake by not proof-reading well enough for one of the email's target countries/cultures would be fair.
But criticizing them as if they intentionally sent out a racist email is not fair and frankly I'm disappointed to sense that here in this community.
... and naming names and calling for termination of employees? ... Really?

I get to criticize them. I do it by not doing biz with them. We discuss jewelry and non jewelry related things here. Your handwringing on behalf of Leibish is unnecessary. They do very, very well as a business. They threw black people under the bus for a cheap attempt at attention. I don't tell you what you can and cannot be offended at and you don't get to tell me either.

 

[tyty333]

Ok so I have no clue and afraid to google what it means. We live in a society where there are so many hidden meanings.

So, I googled it and now I have to go google what "hooking up" means!

 

[Arcadian]

pretty obvious to me that they're referencing about black diamonds. But you know who I hear say that most? black folks.

My dogs adoption place has a campaign "black is beautiful" which it is. I thought it was extremely clever use of the phrase. Black dogs are the least likely to get adopted quickly, which is unfortunate to me. They're beautiful and I do have a soft spot for black dogs. But you know, some people were absolutely offended by them using it for various reasons. And somehow or another it came down to someone saying they're saying black people are dogs. How they got that from the campaign is beyond me.

I'm a black woman. I have a black dog. We're both beautiful So I guess I don't see the problem.

Just gonna say it, I think our world has gotten too PC. We're swung from one side of the pendulum to the other, and there needs to be something in the middle.

I'm not saying I'm immune, I'm not. I try NOT to be overly sensitive because it can prevent constructive dialog. Was the intention to use a provocative phrase to get people to open the email? maybe. I didn't see the email so I don't know the entire contents. While it might not have been the right thing to say given the current world environment, I won't say it was necessarily bad of them to say it.

Lets take it a step further with the H&M ad, which lets face it, given the visual and the history of blacks being associated with monkeys throughout the world as a putdown, its not like they couldn't have known that. But, total double standard, if they had used a caucasian child instead with the same sweatshirt, there would have been no bruhaha over it.

 

[telephone89]

I imagine depending on how much exposure you get, someone might not know what the phrase means. Like the term "netflix and chill."

There is also something on Twitter that the younguns are using about letting someone choke them to death. Apparently it means to admire a certain celebrity a lot. Anyway it is rather disturbing but they use it a lot on Twitter and it's a "good" thing! I was horrified when I first saw it thinking these poor millennials must really have issues!

A few years back I worked with a young (early 20s) gal from Ireland who was working in Canada. She would use the phrase "I could really murder an indian/chinese" and that meant "I am really craving indian/chinese food". I remember staring blankly at her like - wtf are you talking about murdering people at work?!
So, I can see there being different phrases that aren't as well known - but if you don't know what they mean, I find it odd to include in your vernacular!

 

[kenny]

I just got an email from Benji Margolese, Director of Content Marketing at Leibish.

Not being sure what he is allowed to post here, he asked me to post the below letter of apology from the president of the company, Leibish Polnauer.
While some may criticize me for doing so, I chose to also post the email itself to demonstrate transparency.

 

[telephone89]

I am a firm believer that everyone makes mistakes, but how you deal with it is the true test. I think they handled this situation with grace and class. Thank you for posting the letter @kenny !

 

[monarch64]

Lebish is not in America.
They are in Israel.

Saying they made an honest mistake by not proof-reading well enough for one of the email's target countries/cultures would be fair.
But criticizing them as if they intentionally sent out a racist email is not fair and frankly I'm disappointed to sense that here in this community.
... and naming names and calling for termination of employees? ... Really?

The thread was posted in an effort to determine whether a complaint should even have been waged. We were all speculating about the intent, from what I read, in hypothetical terms. I posted the name of the person in charge of outgoing email communications with regard to marketing which is not exactly TOP SECRET so that anyone who wanted to direct concerns to the company could channel them to the correct person. Saying that someone should at least be reprimanded if not let go for their carelessness was not calling for anyone to be fired. It was a statement of my opinion as a person who has been trained that you NEVER send anything out to the public without express approval from a higher up or having a peer review/edit, and that would INCLUDE the subject line of an email. On a consumer advocate site I would expect that transparency and discussion of who does what at xyz company isn't against PS rules. Also I highly doubt that an international, decades-old company located overseas (although they have several offices in the States including their HEADQUARTERS IN NYC) is going to take the advice of a random poster on an internet forum and heads are gonna roll. If you've found I'm in violation of the rules or TOS please report to mods and let them deal with my post. If the only thing you think I"m guilty of is being "not cool," then I guess I'll have to live with that.

 

[monarch64]

Kudos to Margolese and Polnauer for the graceful apology!

 

[kenny]

I trusted from the start that Leibish was not aware of the connotations of the phrase.
Not only because I've had maybe 30 transactions with them over years, I've met many of their employees in person.
Besides, what company in the world would intentionally send out an email knowing it would damage their business?
Absolutely impossible.
How anyone here could suggest that (and in one case, insist ) Leibish knew the connotations and did it to intentionally insult is beyond me.

Maybe because I've lived in other countries for 5 years and struggled to speak local languages, let alone deeper meanings and implications not in a French/English dictionary.
Languages are hard enough, but cultures take a long time to learn.
I get it.
... and again, understanding the reasons for a mistake is not excusing it.

Yes, cutting edge marketing people DO push limits today to grab eyeballs and shock.
Monnie, you know much more about this than I do; I acknowledge this does take place today.
But this company? Selling this product? To these customers? Internationally?
No way!

Thanks to Elizabeth35 for raising this issue.
I apologize if I have inadvertently offended anyone, though I do feel I've done the right thing.
I just can't stand when someone is wrongly accused, and have never been afraid to speak up when I sense this.

 

[monarch64]

I agree that you've done the right thing, Kenny. My point in speculating was that the person who composed the subject line in the email may have known what it meant (but not that it was widely viewed in a negative way) and thought they were just being clever/pushing the envelope due to inexperience or any number of things, cultural communication barrier included. It's become more and more apparent as time and this thread have gone on that it was an error that slipped through the filters put in place by the company.

Everyone makes mistakes. This is a somewhat simple one to undo, at least. It was a great issue to discuss!

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

Once again, I am out of sync here. I found nothing wrong with the Title. It brought a smile to my face. I did not regard it as anything negative. I thought it was cute.

Annette

Kenny- I think it has taken on more than being a sexual reference.

 

[kenny]

I agree Monnie.
I apologize for overreacting by trying to get admin to delete this thread.
Though unfortunate, it's been very informative.

For the record if anyone is ever in doubt about a word or phrase the website www.urbandictionary.com is a good reference.

 

[Puppmom]

I’m stuck with on the Netflix and chill...so that doesn’t mean watch Netflix and hangout? Damn, I just turned 40 and I’m out of touch!

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

I’m stuck with on the Netflix and chill...so that doesn’t mean watch Netflix and hangout? Damn, I just turned 40 and I’m out of touch!

Nope! It means to come over and have sex.

 

[Tekate]

Just totally wrong.