They are destroying everything analog used by humans for fun and creativity, including a piano, a trumpet, paint, an arcade machine, synthesizers, and toys. In return we have one soulless bland iPad. If you have any object remotely similar to the ones depicted as destroyed, you will feel anger and pain at the sight of destruction.

Crushing the tools of art and fun into a tiny technological device is maybe a little tone-deaf in the context of AI trying to crush all scrapeable human creation into a model that would fit on that same iPad.

People who want to be “outraged” do it partly for the shared performance of it.

Because the average mental age of consumers has been decreasing rapidly

It's the times we live in. People have just become overly sensitive it seems. Apple needs to apologize or risk a cancel culture backlash.

> People have just become overly sensitive it seems.

I hear this said a lot, but know of no psychological evidence that people have actually become more "sensitive" (by which I mean neurotic, defensive etc).

What's happened is that people became better informed, educated, and communicative. They're more comfortable with expressing. And that's mainly down to technology which facilitated cultural change.

It is natural for that to turn inward. This is the evolution of critique. It took many years from Gutenberg to Vanity Fair. Literary criticism only emerged once the medium itself was mature.

The same thing is happening in technology as Lewis Mumford predicted. Technological critique. has come of age with AI.

Anybody so unsophisticated as to ignore that, like Apple, is doomed.

No one gives a shit how "thin" or "powerful" your gadget is. They care what it means to them and their values. Apple, of all organisations, should be mindful of that.

>No one gives a shit how "thin" or "powerful" your gadget is. They care what it means to them and their values. Apple, of all organisations, should be mindful of that.

My identity? Why, I'm an iPhone™ product(RED)© AIDS (or as I've recently taken to calling it, HIV+AIDS) REALief-Responder® and I can assure you Zero (0) of the child laborers have STDs.

Would you prefer a world wherein people aren't allowed to speak their mind instead?

Stop being so sensitive about people "being sensitive" and engage in the discussion instead of dismissing it.

All this complaining about "cancel culture" is just complaining that other people are using their freedom of speech in a way that you don't like. This is what freedom is speech means - disagreement. Stop whining about people disagreeing with you. Either address the arguments they're making to further the conversation, or deal with it.

It's fine to voice opinions but why does Apple feel it needs to apologize? No animals were harmed, no protected groups offended. Apple could have just internally said, "well that one kinda didn't work well",pull the ad and move on.

They don't need to. But they offended their main target demographic, so it's probably a good business move to try to regain their trust.

I'd prefer a world where people recognize their opinions are childish and keep it to themselves.

People posting their opinions on Twitter does you no harm. Mute or block of you must, and move on.

Imagine if every Twitter user followed that advice

People complaining on Twitter don't have the power to fire/remove anybody. All they can do is spread allegations. If those allegations are true and bad enough that your employers or associates want to disassociate themselves with you, that is your (or your associates') fault, not the whistleblowers'.

Employers don't just fire you because a Twitter mob told them to. They do it because they learned about your bad behavior and no longer have faith in you.

If you don't like being fired: - Don't do stuff your employers will find distasteful - Vote for candidates to end at-will employment and give stronger employee rights

> People complaining on Twitter don't have the power to fire/remove anybody.

So, start off with a blatant misdirection. They shouldn’t, but the evidence is this works.

> that is your (or your associates') fault, not the whistleblowers

Frame cancel culture as a noble effort, ok, go on…

> Don't do stuff your employers will find distasteful - Vote for candidates to end at-will employment and give stronger employee rights

Just don’t disagree with liberals and vote the way they want you to! SIMPLE SOLUTION! Why didn’t I think of that!?

There you go again, complaining about my argument instead of refuting it.

It's not about liberals or conservatives, it's about ordinary people not liking things and spreading the word, ideally so people with the power to change things hear it. Conservatives cancel too, e.g. the Bud Light / Dylan Mulvaney boycott.

Showing my cards? What cards?

Things seem to escalate quite quickly now with no rationale. There seem to be no middle ground these days. My reference to cancel culture is that while it isn't there yet, Apple may have felt the need to apologize before it got there.

If you prefer to be a jerk, that's certainly an option, yes. Just don't be surprised or blame "cancel culture" when the people you belittle stop inviting you to parties.

Apple has absolutely no issue capitalising on “woke” in their tv shows. Like, really going all in.

There are a couple I think are fine. Mythic quest and Severance, but that what was it? Foundation series, omg, I couldn’t make it a whole episode.

No one's like crying out here or jumping off a bridge. People are just kinda ticked, or disappointed. There's no "cancel culture" happening here. Why such a reactionary interpretation of the ad's poor reception? o_O