Stripping away the unconscious bias

Thank you Bec for speaking out , this is honest, insightful and from the heart

No wonder our industry is dying.

I too have chosen to keep quiet about the countless cases of sexism, sexual harassment and appalling behaviour by many men I worked with. I was told that the only career that would be damaged by speaking up about it would be my own.

I wonder how many others?

Wholeheartedly agree, Bec.

Well done Bec, great writing, and trust me, many men like me are also sick of the unconscious (and sometimes conscious) sexism, ageism, racism and shameless behaviour by those people acting as leaders and managers in the advertising industry.

What saddens me, is the events at Leo Burnett and M&C were not under the watch of crusty 65-year old white males – who could easily be dismissed as past it. At least then, we could think there is hope that a new broom would be coming to make things better.

Nope.. no such thing.. Peter at Leos and Jaimes at M&C ARE the new broom – the next generation of young white males put in charge of creative agencies – and their decisions, and slow apology (Leos) and half-assed apology (M&C) is what we have to show for their ‘leadership’ on this issue.

The future doesn’t exactly look like its going to change anytime soon.

My simple answer: From now on, recruit 50% women, and promote 50% women.

Anything less, then mathematically you are making the problem worse, aren’t you?!

Thank you for your article. I’ve experienced it on countless occasions, I have learnt to deal with it, use palming off tactics, dress down, saying do you mind not touching me loudly so others hear and so on – it shouldn’t be this way and although I’ve learnt to deal with it I never want my nieces or other women coming into the industry to experience this or or for it to be a part of their lives so we have to speak out, we have to stop pushing it under the carpet. As a creative the minute your sexuality is on the cards it makes you doubt your ability and your real reasons for being there. I think we need to start speaking out about it, there are a lot of great men in this industry who are not ok with this too but if they aren’t aware of what we go through they can’t get on board to help change it or understand it. I am happy we are starting this wave, it will change and It starts with uncomfortable conversations like this one…

i was told to keep quiet about my desire to have children ‘one day’ as an intern, before I’d even entered the workforce. Countless other times in my career I’d bite my tongue, and I felt ashamed every time. I was heartened to hear that even Bec was stunned speechless by insensitive remarks. Don’t think that because a women isn’t speaking up that it’s all ok. Congrats to those brave women that do, but to be honest, I don’t have the energy to take on the establishment as an individual. I’ve got a career to navigate and mouths to feed.

I had to hide my pregnancy as well. Then when the agency found out they doubled my work load because they didn’t want me to set a bad example. The baby stopped growing at 40 weeks with the stress and I was forced to have bed rest by my doctor. He told me if you don’t stop working 12 hour days your baby may die. I tool 1 weeks bed rest under his orders and against my will. The baby started growing within 1 week and they agency backed off to a normal work load [ well 9 hours a day ].
6 months after I got back from maternity leave and I was fired. I had been with the company 5 years.

Superb article..

The industry is too gutless to tackle this problem honestly.

Every comment claiming ‘faux outrage’, or unable to ‘see the problem’, added to the absurd delays in Leo’s and M&C’s apologies only reinforce this is an industry in very deep denial…

I’m sorry, if the Burlesque dancers got paid well, if theres one or two women in your creative dept, if you think you’re ‘mates’ with females in the agency…that’s got fuck all to do with it.

I thought this industry hired smart people….no, just fakers.

Clearly the ‘new generation’ are as mentally fragile and arrogant as all the ones before.

Great article.

This is a big and important issue. It will take time for the industry to change.

Throwing stones is not the way to move it forward. Support and collaboration is.

It’s time for us all to lean in. Not lambaste.

Throwing stones?

When will any of these agencies (and there’ll be more after two major ones brush it away) actually take some responsibility and DO SOMETHING?

That’s the f point!!!

Cowardly, and now M+C staff are over at CB slagging Mumbrella! These people are so used to having their arses wiped they are utterly incapable of any genuine self examination… So much for free speech! F A-grade hypocrites – the apology was as false as Leo’s and clearly everyone on M+C’s dime are happy to keep defending it.

Until such time as they work elsewhere, right?

Great article Bec. I stand with you to support the great work you are doing and having open, honest conversations with employers, colleagues and friends to create as many opportunities for women in senior leadership positions.

If anyone else reading this is looking for support for their own initiatives around this topic, I have a number of clients and agencies who are keen to support the work you are doing.

Rachel

While agreeing with most of this article especially around under-representation and outright sexual harassment, i am confused around the M&C issue. Whilst it can only be described as terrible judgement by agency management for the selection of acts over the night, without doubt but they didn’t create the Bag Ladies, the event where Miss Burlesque Aust 2012 was crowned or be the only person who paid for the cake jumper outerer…so what gives? (also confused why using the Drag Queen was not included in the lambasting but hey…)

These ladies have the undeniable right to create these acts but then businesses don’t have the right to engage these acts without being lambasted, ridiculed and tarred with a misogynistic brush? It makes no sense and if someone can please explain this conundrum I would be very happy and enlightened as the clear outtake is you can’t employ or engage any of these acts without ridicule.

That leaves us all in a conundrum with business that don’t earn money and parties or events having no entertainment choice bar live bands, DJ’s or male strippers (if that is OK as it seems to be at ladies only nights) and parties where people huddle in tribes scared of being slightly out of step on the PC scale and having their career ruined.

Yes we need change, clearly, but it can’t be media driven – it has to be something that our industry bodies and combined business take seriously and create some kind of acceptability code we can all adhere to and start working together to enact and make happen. This increasing divide created by agenda driven outrage isn’t helping that…yet.

Oh please. Enough.

Great read Bec. It is daily. It is subconscious. It’s conscious. From snide comments about women who get pregnant when they take on new roles, to mothers (and fathers) leaving early to tend to their children, to drunken grabbing, proclamations and propositioning from staff AND clients to agency females, the tolerating of this behaviour remains only in our industry. Every other industry seems (“SEEMS” – happy to be proven wrong) to take it more seriously. Whenever I think this sector has improved, I think back to a girl I know – who for some reason is still braving the agency life – who confided she was paid off and made to sign a contract that prohibited her from complaining about her sexually harassing CEO or face the risk of “never working in this in this industry again.” That was in 2012, not 1955. Apparently he’s got a history of doing this. Apparently nothing ever happened. Certainly nothing ever will.

Do not bow to these tosser trolls and apologists Mumbrella. if campaign brief are going to censor and suck up to M&C they’re the ones who will go with the dodo in time

‘Our industry should be the lighthouses of enlightenment and move society to a place that understands its audience?’ What does that even mean? The advertising industry as the guardian of our moral codes, reason and scientific endeavors? God help us. An industry which ‘moves society to a place that understands its audience’. You mean women? Or is the industry some how going to move society to a mystical place where we’re all understood? Perhaps a little ambitious? Even for the advertising industry.

Awesome article Bec. Loved it. I’m glad Ive managed to mostly work in agencies where this type of sexism just doesn’t exist – Venus being one of them.

It’s also unacceptable at my current agency. Notably, there are a lot women in senior positions here, but just as importantly, the men who work here wouldn’t stand for it either. And it’s like that from the very top down. It’s great to work in an environment where all employees are on a 100% equal playing field, judged purely on their abilities to do a great job, meet their deadlines and be a nice person to work with. I’d like to think that times are changing, and quickly too; society just doesn’t have time for this shit anymore.

@Ken, agree, ridiculous that the advertising industry should be held up as some kind of beacon…of ‘anything’, quite frankly. That said, don’t you think that given they are paid by clients to have their ‘finger on the pulse’, at least in some sense, they would have known this was a stupid move? Or maybe they really are giving the finger to women, in some kind of ‘edgy, ironic’ way that only their super wealthy male clients would understand?!

@Super yep I agree. To me it feels more ignorant than ironic. Either way I wouldn’t hire them on the basis of ‘smarts’.

@Senior Creative Woman – you’re not alone. I have been told that my career would be jeopardized if I complained about four or five individual situations over the course of my 10 years in the industry at two different agencies. In both agencies, it was the owner of those who suggested I keep quiet and carry on. And, very sadly in both of those agencies, the most senior women reporting to these men (one was the first’s daughter; the second his business partner) supported this “advice” and confided that it would cause me more harm than good if I thought about these situations again. One said she felt sorry for me but that I should “keep clear of him, because that’s just who he is and it’s why we love him, but also gets him into trouble sometimes.”

In hindsight, I probably would never have needed to work again had I proceeded with the harassment suit at the first agency! Oh the naivety of youth 😉

Expecting Advertising agencies to address gender balance is like expecting a real estate agent not to over under quote.

Franky most of them ‘don’t give a sh*t’ to quote a prominent headhunter.
They only want to serve themselves: their fee, salary, KPI or bonus.
We are in a totally self serving industry- this is why ECD are paid for and obsessed by awards and their own success is more important than their clients success

Very sadly this is why agencies need to be held to account to change this.
It will only change if clients demand it.

Although I agree that boys will be boys and have their clubs and rituals, that a woman in charge can be irksome to some, and this industry has no excuse being what it is, I must put my hand up for the men. When I was in need of serious backing due to a violent partner, I found my agency general manager give me the assistance any father would to his daughter. I was supported in every way, particularly financially and practically, I am still in awe of the amazingly powerful help he and others gave me and my son at the time, and I will never forget it. This agency had a great leader, would not put up with any of the shinnannigans you speak of and therefore the culture of the agency was secure and respectful. My boss knew his people, and I am forever in his debt.

And may I add, if you think the guys in advertising are sexist, step out the door into another industry and you’ll be screaming to be let back in. Women use their sexuality in the workplace every day and men are blamed for reaction. Be honest, 2 play the game. Speak up at the appropriate time to the appropriate people, don’t be scared, the men aren’t!

Michele, it’s fantastic that you happen to work with good people who were very supportive and protective of you. But one swallow does not a summer make.

I still surprise myself that I’m in this industry, given the boss-level (figuratively and literally) sexual harassment and even assault I’ve experienced over a long career. And yes, I put that down to the fact that there are also fantastic men who get it including those who mentored and championed me in the early days of my career, and especially strong, fearless voices like Jane Caro and Cindy Gallop who have always called out sexism and bullying and who have received huge backlash as a result, but who have inspired many women to push back in big and small ways. I work with a lot of young guys who see women as colleagues first, female second, and it’s really heartening to see.

I know a number of the M&C guys and personally like them a lot; to be honest, I was pretty taken aback as the party details came to light because it was frankly a blokey, ‘tastefully’ boofhead (well they were burlesque dancers rather than out and out strippers, doncha know?) but unconscious alpha male display – women with their heads inside giant Louis Vuitton bags? Puhlease.

Regarding your comments “…that a woman in charge can be irksome to some” and “… may I add, if you think the guys in advertising are sexist, step out the door into another industry and you’ll be screaming to be let back in. Women use their sexuality in the workplace every day and men are blamed for reaction. Be honest, 2 play the game” Nice bit of victim blaming there; sounds like you don’t like working with women very much. I would also suggest that as an illustrator you’re not working inside ad agencies on a daily, weekly and yearly basis to appreciate the conditions and circumstances experienced by women in that environment.

Finally, bravo Bec – it’s brilliant that you are finally free to speak about these issues and add your thoughtful voice to the discourse.

My present superiors are 2 of the greatest women you will find anywhere, I love my sisters. I do love working for either male or female humans, not biased you see there are sexist attitudes all round. If I am to object to bias against men or women it is because of their grouping together as silent killer bees, rather than as the cultured unbiased we all have been expensively trained. Never assume, a good mantra. I have spent considerable time in-house as an employee, and in management, just a bit down to earth, anti bee stinging non idealist I guess. You hit me, ouch!