My Behavior In The Video Is Appalling'; Tech CEO Michael Lofthouse Captured In Video Berating Asian

[brooklynite]

Source: CBS News

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — Silicon Valley tech CEO Michael Lofthouse issued an apology late Tuesday for his behavoir captured on a viral video delivering vulgar and racist comments toward an Asian family celebrating a birthday at a restaurant in Carmel Valley.

In a statement issued to the Daily Mail and other media, Lofthouse said he lost control of his emotions.

“My behavior in the video is appalling,” the statement read. “This was clearly a moment where I lost control and made incredibly hurtful and divisive comments. I would like to deeply apologize to the Chan family. I can only imagine the stress and pain they feel. I was taught to respect people of all race and I will take the time to reflect on my actions and work to better understand the inequality that so many of those around me face every day.”

The video originally posted on Instagram shows a man cursing and gesturing with his middle finger at the family at the Bernardus Lodge and Spa’s Lucia restaurant.

Read more: https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2020/07/07/racist-comments-asian-family-viral-video-san-francisco-tech-ceo-michael-lofthouse/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

[Maeve]

1. In vino veritas

You told us who you really are.

[The Magistrate]

49. I Like A James McMurtry Line, Ma'am

A stanza from 'Too Long in the Wasteland':


"I never intended to break the rules, but whiskey don't make liars, it just makes fools. So I didn't mean to say it. But I meant what I said."

[Sanity Claws]

2. Did he drive home drunk?

Or was he staying at the lodge?
Anyway he sounds like a reprehensible person.

[enough]

3. Strange idea that when you "lose control," racism is what comes out. NT

[Akakoji]

10. Isn't that so true!

He is unforgiven. Was he just controlling his toxicity?

[mwb970]

14. At least he didn't say he was "joking" like trump would.

[lagomorph777]

27. That jumped out at me too. Like it's a demon in his head, constantly pressuring him.

This guy should be ousted immediately by his board. Not CEO material.

[forgotmylogin]

35. Under stress, the true voice emerges.

I learned this from my language teacher in high school who had spoken mostly English for decades and told us about the time he fell from his bike and broke an ankle in public. He couldn't comprehend at first why bystanders helping him couldn't understand what he was saying. He said he thought "Don't they understand English?" and realized he wasn't speaking English - he was babbling in Spanish due to shock and pain.

It's a reflex to revert to base instinct under duress and revealing how this also applies to closet racists.

[mdbl]

4. The apology isn't enough

He has some lifelong penance to do and doesn't deserve to be head of a company.

[Evolve Dammit]

5. not buying it. Damage control. He's a rascist a-hole or he would not have done that. Drunk or sober.

[bucolic_frolic]

6. Many others have been fired for such

BOD needs to act.

[blueinredohio]

7. My sister's saying "a drunk mans words are a sober mans thoughts"

So evidently he feels that way he just wouldn't say it unless he's drunk. Being ceo I certainly hope he lost his job.

[onetexan]

30. the SOB's company needs to kick him to the curb. if it's his own company clients need to bail

DISGRACEFUL POS!!

[Phoenix61]

37. You got a smart sister.

The whole “He was drunk” as an excuse for bad behavior is bs. Alcohol just lets whatever is inside escape to the outside for all to see. It doesn’t make people angry, it just lets the anger out.

[Steelrolled]

44. If you worked for certain large corporations in the late 20th century

you would have the "opportunity" to attend training where the goal was for everyone to admit some degree of racism. It was several days of intense interaction by skilled instructors, and of course people resisted to varying degrees. There was validity to the concept of the training, but I don't think it could be done today.

[CurtEastPoint]

8. And allegedly, this lovely exchange AFTER the video got out

[dalton99a]

21. +1. Michael Lofthouse is a hardcore white supremacist

[CurtEastPoint]

25. And sadly, British. I hate that. I know it's everywhere but I always think the Brits are kind.

[JI7]

28. most are but look at how Meghan markle was treated and had to leave

[CurtEastPoint]

36. Yes.

[jrthin]

39. Not really. There are many who are not racists, but....

What we see with many Brits and others as well, are their front door faces, and not their backdoor faces. Brexit was in large part an appeal to their racism. Also, I have British friends who are Jewish, and couldn't wait to flee when they hit their teens because of the flagrant anti-semitism.

[captain queeg]

9. Realized it was going to cost him financially.

Whatever a “tech CEO” does, I’m thinking he’s lost some business.

[lagomorph777]

29. Most likely will be fired in short order.

Can't afford this crap in corporate America, especially SIlicon Valley.

[onetexan]

32. i hope all the company's clients bail to teach this racist a lesson if they don't kick him out

[ToxMarz]

11. Those are some deeply held beliefs.

Reflecting on his behavior isn't gonna help other than maybe learn to hide them better in public.

[mwb970]

12. He won't change.

This attitude is in his DNA.

[getagrip_already]

13. Woops - did that get recorded? Time to invoke the PR crisis plans...

Now the public company is going to spend millions on PR efforts to protect "his" racist brand. Of course, if he gets forced out, trump will just make him ambassador to some asian country he doesn't care about.

[MrScorpio]

15. Nobody with any sense believes this garbage

[JI7]

16. fuck him

[Laffy Kat]

17. He got caught. nt

[marie999]

18. That was a very nice apology.

Too bad he didn't mean it.

[dalton99a]

19. Evidently white immigrants are inherently superior and have a right to tell POC to leave

Michael Lofthouse is Trump trash

[UpInArms]

20. I am certain that his behavior is appalling

Whether it is videoed or not ...

I despise the “sorry you caught me on tape” apologies...

smh

[2naSalit]

22. Yup. It's all bs...

He never would have attacked those people if he didn't have those thoughts already.

[dalton99a]

24. Unprovoked

Chan adds for context that this was at her grandmother’s (or aunt's) birthday dinner. “We were celebrating my tita’s birthday, literally just singing happy birthday to her and taking pictures, when this white supremacist starts yelling disgusting racist remarks at us,” she posted on the Insta, adding the Lofthouse’s remarks also included “(‘Fuck you Asians’ ‘Go back to whatever fucking Asian country you’re from’ ‘You don’t belong here’).”

“I’ve dealt with racism before but never on that scale,” Chan told KPIX 5. “Never on the level where somebody completely unprovoked felt obligated to voice their hatred for absolutely no reason.”

[onetexan]

33. So glad this young lady used her phone camera to capture the exchange - it's our best weapon!!

[IronLionZion]

23. When wealthy educated deplorables say "Trump's going to fuck you"

What do they think that means?

[skypilot]

31. Trump's going to fuck you...

...is the one correct thing he said.

[onetexan]

34. Come November we'll make sure to screw both the Idiot, his enablers & rabid followers

they'll get what's coming to them.

[Grokenstein]

42. Surprise, trumpkins!

We fuck BACK.

[captain queeg]

43. I guess they view trump as an orange dildo. Small dildo of course.

[JI7]

26. I thought he had an accent and found out he is from the UK

racist white trash thinks they have more right to the US than American minorities.

[kimbutgar]

38. And San Francisco has such a large Asian population it's hard to believe he is such a racist living

And working here.

[Steelrolled]

46. You think there aren't loads of racist people living in SF?

As I mentioned in another comment, there are (were) corporate training programs that more-or-less would get everyone to admit they had some racist thoughts and behaviors. It was intense and emotionally draining for many. The ultimate goal of the training was to get people to recognize racism in themselves, and control it.

Humans stereotype by nature, and racism is an extension of that.

[Miguelito Loveless]

40. Well, apparently

what you were "taught" didn't take. You not only felt that you could say the vile things you did, you had NO fear of being recorded saying them.

Go work in a soup kitchen and clean trash from the streets for the next few years, then come back and tell us what you have learned.

[zentrum]

41. "I'm so sorry I showed

…..you who I really am. I can usually keep myself under wraps."

[Talitha]

45. He regrets getting caught, but isn't 'sorry' for anything.

[rockfordfile]

47. boycott his company

[Girl powers]

48. Re: Michael Lofthouse

Let’s deport him. He’s not worthy. G