Looks like someone just put their nephew or lover on the payroll.
Not new really.
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You’ve just described the Eden Matrix.
ETA:
I audibly chortled at “remoras.” We’ve got one of these guys right now and I can’t figure out what he does, exactly, beyond drawing universal disdain from everyone who’s had to work with him…
…and I suspect this is exactly what happened with the guy I’m complaining about.
I’ve previously related my experience with Netpliance…
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Daddy’s golf buddy. This kind of gig is for the useless progeny of the “job creator” class, not for average American schmucks.
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In his case he’s just a natural grifter who worked standard marketing jobs in the tech industry during dotcom 1.0, leveraged that into a “personal brand” tarted up with buzzwords and an unusual style, and got himself this AOL gig for which he basically wrote his own ticket. His core competency seems to be bamboozling industry suits and MBAs who (correctly) think they’re not “edgy” enough.
I used to run into these gurus from time to time in the 1990s. Don’t let the goofy exterior fool you: if they see that you’re wise to their racket and are worried that you’re threatening it they’re as vicious and back-stabbing as any other executive – perhaps more so. I’m betting Shingy has left a lot of firings and resignations in his wake.
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Old WC is getting a workout today.
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The (former) head of a design company I worked for is a perfect example of the kind of person who enables the Shingys of the world. While I was there, he:
• Hired a guy with no design experience to be a creative director because he wore skin-tight leather pants and a mesh shirt to his interview.
• Hired a college dropout with barely-rudimentary Flash skills because “they’re from Africa and will make us multicultural!”
• Told the design department to throw a bunch of papers all over our desks and wear our ugliest shirts “because we’ve got a client coming in and I want to show them our creative atmosphere!”
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Why did I click on that!?! WHY?
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This guy IS Nathan Barley
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In this capitalist world, we are often tempted to judge each other on the “value” we provide. Even though Shingy gamed AOL, hopefully he did some good for his colleagues, even if it was just to bemuse them. He got paid to coast, and more power to him.
ETA: I’m probably not saying it well, but basically I mean “F the system because it’s more than willing to F you.”
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I don’t know anyone who had one of these jobs, though I desperately wanted one, but I know the type. Charismatic, great social skills, endless gift of gab. Supreme bullshit artist. It can be said that this is the ultimate American skill. The ability to shamelessly pitch lies, truth, and half-truths interchangeably. Why, one day, maybe such a person will have a high elected office!
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Problem is that for a long time one of AOL’s major income streams was seniors who forgot they were paying for it. So Grandma who didn’t cancel after she used her free minutes was paying for this hairball with glasses to fly around the world drawing trousers on bears.
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That makes sense. I’ve seen some marketing guys suddenly get treated like genius creators for things they (obviously) had nothing to do with, just because they were the ones who were actually visible, unlike the actual creators.
Bullshitting is a disturbingly useful skill. I’ve never been able to make myself good at it - just can’t stomach it.
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I pity the poor schmoes living in that unlikely timeline.
Oh, sh*t.
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That’s a legit grievance. I hadn’t thought about the grannies.
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