<p>Isn’t it interesting that the creative fields are among the toughest for women?</p>
<p>**ONE of the most celebrated executives in the advertising industry has offered to resign after reportedly describing women creative directors as crap who would inevitably wimp out and go suckle something.
Neil French, whose work for clients such as Chivas Regal is often used for case studies, is expected to leave WPP after creating a storm over his views on why so few women break into the top ranks of advertising.</p>
<p>Mr French denies the comments attributed to him at a private dinner. But a spokeswoman for WPP, the worlds second-largest advertising group, said yesterday: Neil has offered to resign following remarks made last week in Toronto. She declined to elaborate. </p>
<p>Nancy Vonk, a senior WPP executive in Toronto who was present at the dinner, responded to Mr Frenchs remarks through her website, saying that she was still partially paralysed by his comments. </p>
<p>What struck me so hard as he described a group that will inevitably wimp out and go suckle something after their short stint in advertising was that in his honest opinion he was voicing the inner thoughts of legions of men in the senior ranks of our business, Ms Vonk, the co-chief creative officer of Ogilvy in Toronto, said. </p>
<p>She added: Neil did us the favour of voicing a widely held view, albeit an extreme version. Its an opportunity for us all men, too to confront something every bit as wrong and unacceptable as racism." **</p>
<p>Here’s what Mr.French has to say for himself.This is an excerpt from an interview in Ad Age. The reporter/interviewer is Matthew Creamer.</p>
<p>What do you make of how the Toronto remarks have been interpreted?
Its death by blog, isnt it? You had to be there. I laugh a lot on stage and I say outrageous things, but people come to be entertained. They paid [$125] to sit there. If they wanted Martin Luther King, they went to the wrong gig. Im well-known for being as outrageous as I can to make the point that I want to make. Advertising is hyperbole and I exercise hyperbole as much as I can, but I laugh when Im doing it. You cant storyboard a smile, as somebody said. </p>
<p>Has the reaction been fair?
The point is the vast percentage of the people who were there said “What was all that about?” Of course, its one woman getting her knickers in a twist and writing a long diatribe on a Web site and then all the other people with nothing to do joining in. Some were on my side, some were not on my side. But I dont care. Dont be on my side. Im a big boy. I dont care about this stuff. </p>
<p>Do you think anything was taken out of context?
Of course. All the reporting was out of context. I did not say female creatives are crap. What I did say is that when somebody asked why are there so few creative directors I said it was because they cant put in the hours. Somebody has to look [after] the kids. You cant always get what you want. You cant have it all. If you dont have a family, then its different. I know two female creative directors who are at the top of the tree but they either spent a long time before they had a [family] or decided not to have one because theyd rather have a career. I was married to one, for Gods sake, I know this. </p>
<p>So you didnt use the word crap, then, in reference to women?
Oh, of course, I did, yes. But I didnt say all female creative directors are crap. If you cant commit yourself to any job then, by definition, youre crap at it. If you cant commit 100% to your job, dont pretend you can. Nobody deserves a job unless they can commit to it.</p>
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<p>I disagree with the comment that creative fields are tough for women - maybe in terms of rising to the top, but if so it is for the reasons Neil French talked about- not because of sexism.</p>