Earlier this week, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin fired shots at Apple CEO Tim Cook, who last week on Colbert called films based on the life of Steve Jobs opportunistic. “I think a lot of people are trying to be opportunistic and I hate this,” Cook said. “It’s not a great part of our world.” Sorkin then shot back and said, “If you’ve got a factory full of children in China assembling phones for 17 cents an hour, you’ve got a lot of nerve calling someone else opportunistic.”
Well today, Sorkin has taken a step back and apologized for calling out Tim Cook. Speaking to E! News, Sorkin said that he probably went too far in his comments towards Tim Cook, but that Cook also went too far in his criticism of movies based on Jobs.
“You know what, I think that Tim Cook and I probably both went a little too far,” Sorkin said. “And I apologize to Tim Cook. I hope when he sees the movie, he enjoys it as much as I enjoy his products.”
Your move, Tim.
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While the word “opportunistic” is negative in tone, it’s more or less an accurate description, and doesn’t require an apology. How would you be free to make any statement in this world, if you have to apologize for such a mild analysis of a movie?
Wait! You’re happy with the Jobs mania selling iDevices for you but that same person being studied and portrayed in pop culture is opportunistic? What is be a prophet now?
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How does Sorkin help his film look likely to be vaguely accurate if he’s sling libellous statements that he knew were untrue before he said them, likely saying them just for effect?
Won’t be going to that movie.
Aww, he admitted that Tim Cook made the same mistake he did. What a big man he is.
What an ass hole. Tim Cook knew Steve Jobs better than Sorkin or any of us ever will. So if Cook hates the movie because it disregards why he valued Jobs for the sake of dramatic effect, who is this Sorkin guy to says otherwise?
Tim Cook didn’t go too far. Aaron Sorkin did. He’s not sorry either. He realized that Apple fans don’t appreciate having someone talk trash about Apple’s CEO the way the did. I have no desire to go see this new Steve Jobs movie at all because Sorkin is an asshole.
I might watch it when it’s on HBO since I already have HBO or something, but I won’t pay for a ticket in a movie theater.
That’s a good point, or Netflix.
Tim Cook doesn’t know you, know about you, or care one jot about you. Neither did Steve Jobs. You are a customer pure an simple – a conduit for their business to make money just like every other customer of every other business.
If you “don’t appreciate having someone talk trash” about Apple’s CEO then you seriously need to take stock of your life.
I disagree. Tim Cook is a business man but he does care, if you have seen in a march in SF or how he interacts with employees and customers I think it is very apparent. Jobs may not have been so nice, Cook sure is.
Maybe if u see him in action u would think otherwise.
Actually, Steve Jobs did know about me, and he actually cared enough to respond to three emails that I sent him over the years. I take issue with Aaron Sorkin getting all pissy about Tim Cook expressing an opinion. It’s fine if he wants to disagree, but once he starts trashing Tim Cook, that’s where I draw the line. If you don’t like what I have to say, that’s fine. I don’t give a damn.
Looks like someone at the studio reamed him out.
Good for them, I know Sorkin has had various probs in life, but he’s basically pissed on his own film. How stupid can u get?
“If you’ve got talent agencies full of children in Hollywood getting sexually abused by executive producers in the hope of landing a role , you’ve got a lot of nerve taking the moral high ground about being called out for being opportunistic.”
Apple police threathing phone calls slashing tires death stares thru windows blood painted warnings on windows and ceilings. Yep he deftinly had a ‘change of heart’
If you’ve ever seen any of Sorkin’s shows, the dialogue frequently features characters saying something exceptionally harsh and then almost immediately apologizing and changing their tone. This is pretty similar to his writing.