Anytime I hear Quicksilver President and CEO Bob McNight say “A tsunami in surfing is a thrilling prospect, but the tsunami in business is terrifying” in an advertisement, I am shocked that something so stupid and insensitive is used as a commercial.

One of the best ways to be dismissed is to communicate in such an outrageous manner.

The 2004 tsunami killed nearly 300,000 people and displaced (meaning destroyed their homes) well over 1,000,000 others, and the president and CEO of a major company apparently thinks a day like that would be a thrilling day for surfing. What would be an exciting day to ski–the day that the entire mountain of snow falls in a huge avalanche that destroys the town? What would be a wonderful day for golf–the day that a tornado with 200-plus mph wind destroys the course?

Either Mr. McKnight knows little about the world around him (or knows nothing of recent historic events), or he is so in love with a clever line that his crack marketing staff came up with that he doesn’t care that the statement makes no sense and makes him and his company look insensitive and clueless.

–Paul