Bill Simmons Is Facing Backlash for Lack of Diversity at 'The Ringer'
By Nakeisha CampbellJun. 23 2020, Updated 4:23 p.m. ET
On June 1, 2020, sports personalty and The Ringer founder Bill Simmons recorded a podcast episode that focused on the Black Lives Matter protests. He was once joined through fellow podcaster Ryen Russillo, who also opened up about George Floyd's murder and the police. However, listeners were not inspired by the discussion, deeming it one of the crucial worst episodes that they have got ever heard.
Regular fans of Bill and Ryen referred to as out the duo for their tone deaf comments on Twitter, however the podcasters additionally faced some grievance from fellow workers at The Ringer, calling to attention the lack of variety a few of the personnel.
How did these men reply to the backlash?
The Bill Simmons controversy started with "A Truly Sad Week in America."
Just every week after George Floyd's murder, Bill and Ryen came in combination to share their perspectives in an episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, entitled "A Truly Sad Week in America." Bill described the event as "surreal," explaining that he understood the outrage that he used to be seeing. Meanwhile, Ryen not best expressed his disappointment about the traumatic video, but also mentioned his issues concerning the looting and spoke in protection of his pals who are police officers.
Ryen said, "When I used to live in Hartford and I worked out with a couple of guys on the police force, they were like, 'You think we want to do anything wrong? I don't want to do anything wrong, I don't want that attention, but I'm scared. I'm scared patrolling the area I patrol.' So when you hear that you go, 'Oh man, maybe I haven't thought of it that way."
Ryen also took the opportunity to percentage how he's voted up to now. He mentioned, "I'm not exactly the guy who had a Hope bumper sticker on his car during the Obama stuff. But the way I would vote, I would vote selfishly, I think most of us vote selfishly. I voted for tax purposes when I had no money."
Listeners criticized Bill and Ryen for slightly mentioning George Floyd.
On Twitter, several fans discussed that the boys appeared extra curious about looting and defending cops than severely addressing racial problems, police brutality, and the dying of George Floyd. In reaction to Ryen's tweet concerning the podcast on Twitter, fans inspired him to test his privilege.
'Ringer' staff criticized the boys for claiming the group of workers is various.
During the episode, Ryen praised Bill for his hiring practices. "Look at you, Bill, look at the people you’ve hired, look at the company that you’ve started, look at the jobs and opportunities that you’ve given a diverse group, which I know you’re always looking to do," he stated. "I’m not kissing up to you here. These are facts. You have tried for a very long time to make sure your hiring is as diverse as possible."
However, former and present workers took issue with this declare, because it turns out The Ringer is actually no longer numerous. On the day the episode was launched, The Ringer Union took to Twitter and revealed a thread to get the information immediately.
They tweeted: "We’re currently at a standstill on diversity efforts in our conversations at the bargaining table. We’ve been given an array of excuses as to why management cannot commit to more diverse hiring practices, including technical issues and, most recently, privacy concerns."
In reaction to the podcast, Ringer creator John Gonzalez tweeted: "If you’ve heard someone say The Ringer is a super diverse place, sadly that person does not know what he’s talking about. We have a long way to go, and I hope we get there."
According to The New York Times, 4 former Black employees additionally shared that their experience at The Ringer was a ways from delightful. In reality, they mentioned that The Ringer's most sensible editors virtually by no means defended them on every occasion they skilled racist abuse on social media.
As of now, there are simplest six Black editorial team of workers individuals out of more than 90 staff.
“Black talent is essential,” said @jemelehill. “But who's the Black person that is a real choice maker? That’s what I wish to know.”https://t.co/9aUR3noEB3
— Ben Bartenstein (@BenBartenstein) June 23, 2020 Source: TwitterBill Simmons sparked extra outrage together with his dismissive statement.
In reaction to the claim that his company lacked variety, he presented a condescending response, saying, "it’s a business. This isn’t Open Mic Night." Still, the remark left other folks confused as a result of he is recognized for giving his personal pals and family members opportunities to be involved.
One consumer tweeted, "Bill Simmons is a reminder that white bosses never hire Black people because we lack 'experience' thus making sure we never actually get any experience and they can pretend like we’re never qualified for any job. Meanwhile, he gave his f--king teenage daughter a podcast."
Everyone: “The Ringer wishes actual range and should rent minorities.”
Bill Simmons: pic.twitter.com/5JmT7wxh8h
— Griselda Records A&R (@el_budget) June 23, 2020 Source: TwitterRyen Russillo addressed the backlash on his own podcast.
Ryen not handiest listened to the grievance, but he additionally went again and listened to the podcast for himself. After hearing how he sounded, he went on his personal podcast to acknowledge his mistakes.
"The whole podcast we did on Sunday was a miss on my part, I did a bad job,' he said. "I will have to not had been the voice to be heard from, it wanted any individual with a greater point of view on the whole thing that this nation just went thru previously week, I was no longer that person, and that was a mistake."
Ryen also mentioned his tone and explained that he was being very casual with Bill, but he clarified that he cares more about the murder of George Floyd than he does about looters.
"I delight myself on looking to figure out tactics to talk about subjects, maybe make it extra difficult, add my flaws, be inclined and admit to a few issues and pass, 'neatly what about this, possibly we must take into accounts this mindset,'" he said.
"That's a omit and I would not have accomplished it. It was a really poor activity on my a part of attempting to add a lot of these other elements to a discussion where now and again the discussion is very straightfoward, and it is getting other folks to get up to what's going down in this country."
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