Astronomer executives' Coldplay scandal: Why it went viral and the obsession with public shaming
If combining the words 'kiss cam', 'Coldplay', 'Astronomer' and 'affair' means nothing to you, you have managed to be blissfully unaware of the internet's weekend meltdown over a very public spectacle.
Here's the TL;DR recap: A couple, who were in a tight embrace, created a buzz among concertgoers – and later, the world – when they pulled a duck/hide move after
they were featured on the kiss cam at a Coldplay concert in Boston.
Their reaction was so suspicious that the band's frontman Chris Martin quipped: 'Either they are having an affair or they're just very shy.'
It turned out that Martin was right, and the cheating pair were colleagues at US tech firm Astronomer.
Internet sleuths uncovered their names and job titles – he's Andy Byron the now-former chief executive at the company; she's Kristin Cabot, Astronomer's chief people officer – as well as information about their other relationships.
People also found out who Mr Byron's wife was, with some even sending her messages about what they thought of her husband.
Beyond the illicit affair being publicly exposed, the incident led to much introspection about what happens when private moments become public and leadership credibility.
Also, what is our obsession with public shaming?
In this episode of The Usual Place podcast, I will speak with:
Stephanie Phua, founder of marketing and branding collective Duo Studio and co-founder of The Trampoline Club, a platform which pushes for compassion, understanding and mutual respect in conversations,
Pan Huiyan, a millennial leadership coach, and
Dr Sunny Johar, the managing director for South-east Asia for digital experience agency KRDS
Tune in at 12pm SGT/HKT to watch the livestream and take part in the discussion on our revamped YouTube channel.
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