When 'Edgy' Comments Cross the Line: A Workplace Reality Check
I’ve been following an interesting workplace saga that’s been making the rounds online, and it’s got me thinking about how quickly things can escalate when people mistake the office for their personal social media feed.
The story goes like this: someone posted about a colleague who’d been making increasingly problematic comments at work. The latest update? That colleague got fired on the same day he made a comment rating a female coworker’s appearance as “flat as a board, a 3/10.” No warning, just immediate termination.
The online reaction has been… well, let’s call it predictably mixed. While some people are making jokes about it (because apparently everything’s fair game for comedy these days), others are pointing out something that should be blindingly obvious: don’t comment on your colleagues’ appearance. Ever. How is this still a conversation we need to have in 2024?
What really strikes me about this whole situation is how it reflects a broader cultural shift we’re seeing, particularly among younger men influenced by what people are calling the “manosphere” - that toxic online ecosystem of male influencers promoting outdated and frankly dangerous attitudes toward women. One commenter mentioned seeing this behaviour creeping into schools four years ago, with boys asking female teachers inappropriate questions straight out of this playbook.
This isn’t just about one person being a dickhead at work (though that’s certainly what happened here). It’s about a generation being fed a steady diet of content that treats women as objects to be rated and judged, then being surprised when that behaviour doesn’t fly in professional settings.
The IT side of me is particularly fascinated by how many people still don’t seem to understand that everything they do on company systems is monitored and can be retrieved. I’ve seen countless stories of people getting fired for inappropriate messages, illegal downloads, or worse. One person mentioned finding porn on government computers regularly - I mean, come on, people! Your work laptop isn’t your personal playground.
But here’s what really gets under my skin: the original poster mentioned this person came from a minority background, and immediately some commenters started blaming immigration and cultural differences. That’s both lazy thinking and missing the point entirely. Toxic attitudes toward women aren’t imported - they’re homegrown and amplified by social media algorithms that profit from outrage and engagement.
The reality is that workplace harassment training exists for good reason, and it’s not because companies want to create some sterile, joyless environment where nobody can speak. It’s because everyone deserves to come to work without being subjected to comments about their appearance, their personal lives, or anything else that makes them feel uncomfortable or unwelcome.
Look, I’m not saying workplaces need to be completely humourless zones. My own office has its share of banter and jokes. But there’s a massive difference between friendly workplace chat and rating your colleagues like they’re contestants in some degrading competition. That line isn’t blurry - it’s pretty damn clear.
The encouraging thing about this story is that the system worked. The behaviour was reported, investigated, and dealt with swiftly. That sends a clear message to everyone else in that workplace about what’s acceptable and what isn’t.
For all the young blokes out there getting their worldview from YouTube personalities and podcast bros: the real world has consequences. Your employer isn’t going to care about your favourite influencer’s take on women or society. They care about creating a safe, productive workplace for everyone. And if you can’t figure out how to treat your colleagues with basic respect and professionalism, you’ll find yourself explaining to Centrelink why you’re suddenly looking for work.
Maybe this is the wake-up call some people need. The internet might feel like a consequence-free zone where you can say whatever you want, but the workplace isn’t Reddit, and your colleagues aren’t anonymous usernames to be rated and dismissed. They’re real people trying to do their jobs, and they deserve better than being someone’s edgy comment material.