“Women don’t make it to the top because they don’t deserve to. They’re crap.”

…said a cigar-chomping Mr French, when asked to explain the dearth of women in advertising.

He added that women inevitably “wimp out and go suckle something”. During the discussion, Mr. French, 61, had a waitress wearing a French maid’s uniform serve him drinks.

hmm…
Needless to say Mr. French found his position terminated after such sexist comments.

With an arguably colorful past of being a porngrapher, bullfighter and a henchman, Neil French has been one of the most prolific worldwide creative directors of our generation and an icon of British advertising’s golden age in the 1970s. So good infact that he has come to be called ‘The Godfather’.

Its just sad to see someone as good as him being asked to leave the arena for his own wrong doing.. especially when it could be easily avoided. I guess, when you are that good at what you do, you do pack on a coupl’a extra balls and an ‘S’ on your chest. Question is ?? is he apologetic ? – i dont think so…

He admitted using the word “crap” but claimed he had been trying to argue that women could not work the hours required by the industry if they had families to look after. “I didn’t say all female creative directors are crap. If you can’t commit yourself to any job then, by definition, you’re crap at it. Nobody deserves a job unless they can commit to it.”

i see the logic there.. but it doesnt change the fact that he was being an ass. When a personality such as himself decides to externalize his personal opinions and make such extreme generalisations (extreme enough to call women the slacker-breeders of our community).. you kinda wonder if he saw the boot coming !

Lets face it!! The man is NOT stupid, arrogant perhaps but NOT stupid.
Click here to see some of his work. This Dove Ad – smart and simple :)

Mr French’s remarks hit a nerve in an industry that has long struggled with a lack of high-ranking women. “It’s a widely held view in this business [that] most men look at women as breeders,” said Judy John, chief creative director at the Toronto office of the agency Leo Burnett.

Oh well c’est la vie! – Gods make mistakes too! .. plus, i doubt Mr. French is setting off in search of Shangri-la, instead am quite positive he is screaming out loud his you-havent-seen-the-last-of-me’s.

quotes from news.telegraph