Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Giant Global Oil Company Prompts Outrage For Using Migrant Worker As A Human Hand Sanitizer Dispenser

Giant Global Oil Company Prompts Outrage For Using Migrant Worker As A Human Hand Sanitizer Dispenser
@ImpactPolicies/Twitter

Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia's nationalized oil company, is a massive entity.

In December 2019, Aramco debuted on the stock market with an Initial Public Offering valuing the company at around $1.9 trillion.


But for all Saudi Aramco's monetary strides and capitalist successes, it has evidently overlooked public relations. With the Coronavirus sweeping across the globe at alarming rates (125,865 confirmed cases and 4615 reported deaths globally, at time of writing) a large workplace is an obvious cause for concern.

Given that washing hands regularly is just about the best way to minimize the spread of COVID-19, companies, like Saudi Aramco, are attempting to be a part of the solution.

That said, OPTICS ARE EVERYTHING.

Sure, Saudi Aramco did provide the hygienic means appropriate to the situation. That is absolutely a gesture of corporate responsibility.

But Aramco's approach has NOT been well received.


As the tweet captions articulate, there is another problematic layer at play beyond the mere fact that this man has been literally objectified, disproportionately placed in close proximity to germs before they're wiped away by the liquid of his costume.

The man was a migrant, foreign laborer. Thus, many who saw the photos sounded alarms of Coronavirus-inspired racism, hardly a new phenomenon.

Responses invited the suspicion that this man's race and country of origin had everything to do with why he of all people was chosen to be a mere tool of the workplace.






The outrage eventually swelled to such a degree that Saudi Aramco was forced to make a public statement regarding the PR faux pas.

While the statement was only written in Arabic, Buzzfeed News reports that the statement apologized to the general public for the "very dissatisfying" decision. The post did not, according to Buzzfeed, apologized to the man himself or provide any information about who made the decision and why.

More from Trending

Sabre; Nancy Mace
@bottleneckloser/Instagram, Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Congressional Integrity Project

Trans Influencer Speaks Out After She's Randomly Targeted By Nancy Mace Online

A trans influencer fired back at MAGA Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina for mocking her about her trans identity on social media and subsequently making her vulnerable to attacks.

Sabre, whose Instagram handle is @bottleneckloser, posted a video stating that the lawmaker "bullied" her recently for being "hot on Twitter.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Elon Musk
Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

YouTube Becomes Unlikely Hero After Play Button Is Perfectly Placed Over Musk's Face

Call it kismet or divine intervention, but sometimes the fates align to inadvertently create something wonderful.

Or hilarious.

Keep ReadingShow less
Elon Musk and Jim Jordan
Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

GOP Account Hit With Blunt Reminder After Shaming Dems For Celebrating Tesla's Downfall

Minnesota Democratic Governor and former vice presidential candidate Tim Walz joined many Americans in a bit of schadenfreude regarding White House advisor Elon Musk’s recent reversal of fortune.

Musk, the self-described leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has seen protests against his actions on behalf of Republican President Donald Trump. Part of those protests include Tesla owners getting rid of their vehicles, buyers boycotting the brand, and stockholders dumping their shares.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rachel Zegler
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/GettyImages

Rachel Zegler Claims 'White Executives' Questioned Her Latina Heritage During 'West Side Story' Casting

Actor Rachel Zegler claimed that skeptical producers questioned her Latina heritage during the casting process for the 2021 West Side Story remake directed by Steven Spielberg.

In the remake of the classic 1961 film adaptation, Zegler starred opposite Ansel Elgort as the star-crossed lovers, Maria and Tony.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Trump Hilariously Melts Down Over Awful Portrait Of Him Hanging In CO State Capitol—And People Can't Stop Trolling Him

People can't help but troll President Donald Trump after he complained about a truly awful portrait of him hanging in the Colorado State Capitol building.

On Sunday night, Trump lashed out against Colorado Governor Jared Polis for hanging what he called a "purposefully distorted" portrait of him in the Colorado State Capitol building.

Keep ReadingShow less