Apple Music head Jimmy Iovine has been forced to apologise after his comments that women struggle to find new music and need help finding songs for when they talk about boys.
During a TV appearance with R&B star Mary J. Blige, Jimmy Iovine was promoting Apple’s latest product and its new ad featuring Kerry Washington, Taraji P. Henson and Mary J. Blige.
During CBS This Morning, Iovine said the inspiration for the new product: “Women find it very difficult at times — some women — to find music. And this helps makes it easier with playlists, curated by real people.
“I just thought of a problem: Girls are sitting around talking about boys. Or complaining about boys, when they have their heart broken, or whatever. And they need music for that, right? It’s hard to find the right music,” he said. “Not everybody knows a DJ.”
His comments were slammed on social media, excect for Oprah:
Women according to Jimmy Iovine: “HELLO SIR HAVE U HEARD OF MUSIC WHERE CAN I FIND SOME” BARISTA: Ma’am this is Starbucks
— Jillian Gutowitz (@jillboard) November 20, 2015
Sorry m8 couldn’t hear that banging tune – my period is a devastating tidal wave and I’m sobbing about small dogs rn https://t.co/H8JhMLjgGb — Lauren Martin (@codeinedrums) November 19, 2015
It’s not hard for women to find music at all, Jimmy Iovine. My 300-some LPs are neatly alphabetized and my label’s releases have catalog #s.
— Alyssa DeHayes (@alyssadehayes) November 19, 2015
The way I feel about Jimmy Iovine’s comments rn pic.twitter.com/3wzcDETZ99 — ilana kaplan (@lanikaps) November 19, 2015
And Jimmy Iovine finds it very difficult to not be a bellend. https://t.co/cMuCdbiVOK
— Beth Gordon (@bethgordon) November 19, 2015
Oprah has defended Apple Music boss:
.@GayleKing Agree! I’ve met a lot of sexist men. #JimmyIovine is NOT one of them. #OutOfContext
— Oprah Winfrey (@Oprah) November 20, 2015
Iovine has since issued an apology: “We created Apple Music to make finding the right music easier for everyone — men and women, young and old. Our new ad focuses on women, which is why I answered the way I did, but of course the same applies equally for men. I could have chosen my words better, and I apologise.”
Now I’m off to listen to Limp Bizkit, they’re still hip to the cool right?
