Misanthrope

Misanthrope

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This show is produced and hosted by Mark Webber. The
show is sponsored by G three Aparo. The views expressed
in the following program are those of the sponsor and
not necessarily the opinion of seven ten wor or iHeartMedia.
Who is Mark Webber. He's a self made business executive
here to help you find your success from the New

(00:21):
York City projects to the Avenue Montaigne in Paris. His
global success story in the luxury world of fashion is inspirational.
He's gone from clerk to CEO twice. Mark his classic
proof that the American dream is alive. And well, here's
your host of always in Fashion, Mark Weber.

Speaker 2 (00:41):
Mark Weber.

Speaker 3 (00:42):
I've been out in the wild deflate talking to my
fellow humans. Now. I know I've been called a number
of things, either behind my back ory to my face.
But lately I've been called a couple of new things
that were really unfamiliar to me. I'm used to be
calling a Schmark of that matter. Could looking some of

(01:03):
these things? I like some Basically I could care less. Frankly,
if you think about it, everyone sees us differently in
some form of whom they are. They're looking at you
through their eyes and it's not surprising I'm being categorized.
I've noticed of late people seeking me out. A lot
of people just want to say hello, shake my hand,

(01:24):
to talk to me. It could be my look. I
have a long hair. Now, it's striking. It makes a statement.
People can't sing to let it go. You would think
I don't get I visited recently on the set with
Jesse with Chris Cuomo. The first thing he said is wow,
look at that hair. And he comments, and of course
that Jesse he understands where he gets his hair from.

(01:46):
I was taken aback, but nonetheless, I recently looked at
a video Prevard for an introduction of award I received,
where Bono appeared in the video. He looked at me
and he simply said, what hair. Some people see you
as they see you. I'm getting off track, though, I'm sorry.
I've been in the company of lots of different people,
of late, men and women. Most I liked, most I didn't.

(02:11):
How could I be most in two opposite directions. That's
my business. But often humans disappoint. I think about Jimmy
Kimmel around now, I think about Donald Trump right now.
I admire them both, but talk about disappointing. I'm on
the subject of new description of me. Hey, my self

(02:32):
deprecation my own description of me. I'm honest, tough, fare
and grounded in common sense. I have no problem being me.
But all I would ask is leave me alone. No,
I've been getting new definitions. I've been called obtuse. Now
what the heck is that slow to understand, dull, witted,

(02:59):
or unknowingly insensitive? And the case that it was used
for me was about being unknowingly insensitive. I agree with
I'm unknowingly insensitive. I'm long on kenions and short on filters.
But don't wit it not me. I'm one of the
smart ones. Come on, let's be honest. But I'm also

(03:19):
referred to as an acquired taste. People say I'm off putting,
but when they get to talk with me, there's a
complete turnaround. They had no idea I could be so charming.
Thank you. I have my moments. Then there's this recurring
thing I will admit when I tune in and I'm
interested in the person I'm around, I work to understand

(03:39):
who they are and what they stand for. If you're meaningful,
I'm grateful for your time. If I deem you uninteresting. Well,
I'll try to avoid you at all costs. In the future,
it's my life, it's my future. I'll spend it with
those I choose to, but be grudgingly. I've been called
this week's something new. No, not a character this time.

(04:02):
I've been said to be a misanthrope. Now that's the word.

Speaker 4 (04:06):
A misanthrope is a person who hates, distress, or dislikes
humankind or human nature. The term comes from the Greek
words for hate and human, and is sometimes described as
a form of general contempt for humanity, often stemming from
a disappointment with human flaws and behaviors such as corruption, selfishness,
and violence. A misanthrope may view these negative traits as

(04:26):
proof of humanity's inherent badness.

Speaker 3 (04:29):
Well, I had never heard that I was in misanthrope,
And well, I must admit I often refer to myself
as racusive. I'll accept the word missingthrope is part of
my definition. Why don't I like people? Hm? I only
have an hour yet, therefore, I can only offer you
a short list of reasons. I could use the excuse

(04:50):
that in business I've seen the worst sides of my
fellow units the worst sides of my associates. To be fair,
I've also seen wonderful sides of people, But generally speaking,
this is his cutthroat doggy dog. The people you're surrounded
with are not your friends. They're associates when they work
for you. They only love you when you're doing good

(05:12):
for them. You could do a thousand nice things to someone,
say go WHOA, what a great guy is? Say one no,
don't agree with that. Tell them no to something they want.
They hate it. It's complicated. I recognize this world vying
for promotion the raises. I've seen envy, which is terrible
in people as a human trait. I've seen jealousy, which

(05:34):
is even worse. Dislayer tea more times than I care
to admit. Therefore, I'll accept I'm in the world of missingthrow.
I don't particularly like or appreciate telling him. People have
a problem with me perfect. I don't have to hang
with you, but you'll miss it out on the opportunity
to see charming Mark Webber, which leads me back to

(05:57):
Jimmy Kimmel and Donald Trump. Jimmy Kimmel is that's one
of my favorite late night talk show hosts. I think
he is my favorite, although I would say to you
that Bill Maher now the common sense has ended into
his auditory and he's criticizing the left of force feeding
the ridiculous principles and lack of common sense. Enough, he
might be my current favorites. But Jimmy Kimmel I enjoyed.

(06:21):
I loved his brains, his intellect coupled with his sarcastics.
That's a humor, does it for me? The problem is
he's disrespectful to the president. I was sad to see
him canceled. We can debate the right or wrong in
the mood of the country. Charlie Kirk should have never
been touched, never assassinated, particularly if they considered him on

(06:44):
the wrong side. This is terrible. But Jimmy Kimmel, however,
you feel your disrespect for the president is disrespectful. The
world's watching you. I'm thinking Trump's ideas in many cases
the good of if he is I have to agree.
I get it. As I said, I learned early in
business you don't have to respect the individual. That has

(07:06):
to be earned, but you must respect the office that
he holds. I'm a missing frog, Jimmy Kimmel. You disappointed,
and yet I still like and admire you. But your
disrespect is out of line, and maybe, just maybe you're
out of control. As for Trump, I knew him. I

(07:27):
did business with him, honorable and everything he did, everything
he promised he did. He showed up everywhere that everyone
we asked him, Davis, the time we asked for now
he set to you in. I couldn't believe what he said,
not about borders. He had an opinion, not about climate change,
he had an opinion. Not about Russia. He had an opinion.

(07:49):
But he disrespected Putin on the world stage when he
should be trying to turn down the rhetoric. I thought
he wanted a relationship with Putin. I think it's crazy
easy to call her out European in our alleys, in
that form to stop buying Russian oil. That's for behind
the scenes. That's a conversation with President and Pulon. That's respect.

(08:11):
You lose respect, you lose everything. That's the president. And
if that wasn't enough, calling out former President Biden for
his policies there on the world state, terrible disrespect. You
don't like the man, fine, but to the office. So
I admit I am a misanthroat. I distrust and dislike

(08:33):
my fellow units. Now we all should drive to have
Carrotter be honest, loyal to the country. Let alone are
fellow citizens walk up to me. Chances are very good
that I don't like you, but what you have to understand,
I'll still respect you. Now one more word on Trump.

(08:53):
He's trying to change the world. He's trying to right
the wrongs. He's trying to put the train back on
the tracks. He's trying to solve problems. For that, he
has my respect. And although with what I've said and learned,
you don't have to like or respect your seniors, your adversaries,
or your leaders. You must respect their offices that they hold.

(09:16):
Get place in light tonight. I'm a missing trop I
know how hard changes, I know how hard it is
to affect future change. I know how hard it is
to convince people. But can we agree to give it
a chance? John Lennon said, give piece of chance. Mark
Webers said, give change a chance. With that is Apatra
joining me tonight, my lawyer, my co host, my son,

(09:39):
Jesse Webber, Hey, Jesse, my youngest son. Am I too
hard on myself? Hey?

Speaker 5 (09:45):
Everybody. Uh No, I don't think you're hard enough on yourself.
That's the truth.

Speaker 2 (09:51):
If people couldn't guess it, you know what it is.
I haven't been on the show in a while. I
don't think you've had a counterbalance to kind of level
you out. I love you, but you avoid contact with
every single human being. You have no filter. You don't
listen to anybody. You don't answer people when they talk
to you. You're not interested in their opinions. Your mind

(10:11):
is already made up on most things without even listening.

Speaker 5 (10:15):
You are impossible.

Speaker 2 (10:16):
Like they have Mission impossible, Tom Cruise, I guess doesn't
want to.

Speaker 5 (10:20):
Do it anymore.

Speaker 2 (10:20):
Why don't they just do two hours of your life
and they'll call that mission impossible.

Speaker 5 (10:25):
I'll give you example. I'll give an example again.

Speaker 2 (10:28):
I recently moved, and you have been incredibly supportive in
the move.

Speaker 5 (10:33):
It's great.

Speaker 2 (10:34):
Having said that, I like to think during the process
I kind of knew what I was talking about, speaking
to experts in the field and everything.

Speaker 5 (10:42):
You did not trust me on anything, location, management, furniture.
You were always second guessing it.

Speaker 2 (10:52):
It was like, no matter what I said, you didn't
believe it, and it had to take someone else in
a position of authority or somebody else who you knew.
You're like, oh yeah, Jesse's right, Jesse's right. So it's like,
you know what I inherited from you. I inherited my
distrust of people from you. I'll ask a million questions.
I don't trust anybody. It's when my wife says, it

(11:14):
makes me impossible. Now, so I love it.

Speaker 5 (11:16):
I kind of do the same thing that you do.
But at the same time, it's a little difficult.

Speaker 3 (11:21):
Well, first of all, you validate the fact that I
am unintentionally unaware of what's going on. I had no
idea it made your life so hard. Number two, you
don't make it hard.

Speaker 5 (11:32):
You don't make it hard. You don't make it hard.

Speaker 3 (11:34):
But it informedly.

Speaker 5 (11:35):
But it's like this, it's like this. It's like, I'll
give you an example. Give an example.

Speaker 2 (11:38):
Okay, if if I were to buy a TV and
they install it and I go, uh oh, this is
not working. They didn't deliver it the right way. Instead
of saying what you'd like, You're like, when you say
a TV, what do you mean I bought what kind
of TV? Well, it's a well, okay, what does it
do what's different about Okay, what are they not install right?

Speaker 5 (11:58):
Well, they didn't have the cable cable? How do you
know it's not the right cable? Do you know anything
about cables?

Speaker 3 (12:02):
I'm like, ah, I'm unknowingly insensitive, I'm an obtuse What
do you want from me? And I happen to think
everything all these examples you're putting out, I'm right. Have
you bought apartments before? And have you bought TVs before?
I don't think so?

Speaker 5 (12:16):
Okay, Well, well I bought TVs before. I never bought
an apartment before.

Speaker 2 (12:19):
So yes, you're right to question one hundred percent. Uh,
it's just it's it's it's a good quality. Because you're
very thorough, you get all the answers. This is why
an excellent corporate executive, human being, human being.

Speaker 3 (12:34):
Well, after all of a sudden done, it sounds like
I'm right on everything you said. I'm not hard enough
on myself. Sounds to me like I'm pretty right on everything.
If this is you criticizing me, you're not doing a
very good job. You're validating Hawaiian am I'm missing thrope
who's obtuse and a character?

Speaker 5 (12:52):
Do you think you're easy? Do you think you.

Speaker 1 (12:55):
Do.

Speaker 3 (12:56):
No, I'm not trying to.

Speaker 2 (12:57):
Do Okay, maybe.

Speaker 5 (12:59):
You don't need me to validate it. You already know.

Speaker 3 (13:02):
All right, listen, I'm gonna move on from this tonight's show.
I'm not trusting anything. I want to point out how
hard it is to make change. Everybody says they like change,
nobody likes it. It's all one mess after another. You
watch what's going on. What is your take on Kimmel
and Trump?

Speaker 5 (13:19):
My take?

Speaker 2 (13:20):
My take is, look, I think he made a problematic
statement at a time when the nation was already heated,
and I think he could have been more careful with
his words. Did it warrant him being suspended, Well, it
was definitely a wake up call for him, at the
very least to maybe understand the significance of his words
and his platform and maybe rethink what he said. And

(13:42):
he you know, when he came back, he did make
a comment about Erica Kirk that was great. You know,
he praised her for what she said at the memorial service,
and I wonder if you would have said that if
he hadn't been taken off the air at the same time.
There was so much backlash over this because it wasn't
clear on its face that he should have been suspended

(14:03):
based on that one statement. I don't think it was
that egregious. And in the end, you know he's back.
He's I'll tell you he came out swinging. Did you
like his opening monologue the other night?

Speaker 3 (14:16):
I did. I thought he was very clever. I thought
he was contrite. I thought he said what he needed
to say. I thought he was sarcastic in a wise guy.
But once again, where I'm coming from, his insults and
his insults and insulting the president, I think is totally
out of what I don't think that's the way we're

(14:36):
supposed to behave. That's one thing to make jokes, you know,
good natured fun. A Washington correspondence dinner, when everyone goofs
on each other, everyone's laughing. It's a good natured fun.
There's something to be said for good nature. Do you
want to argue with President Trump's policy, go right ahead.
I could sit here all day long and argue about

(14:57):
it in Obama, but it didn't mean I didn't respect
him as a as leaders. Barack Obama's my favorite presidents.
When he used to skip down the stairs on Air
Force one, I was so proud to see him do that.
He was young, he was energetic, he had a point
of view, He's well spoken, he was smart as could be.
His policies didn't work and very few with the exception

(15:19):
I'm going to guess of Obamacare, which I think were
I didn't agree with anything. And Biden, come on. The
whole presidency was a mess, from the minute he got
out of the war in Afghanistan and the way he
did it, and he spoke and going so so hard
to the left. It really noid most of the country.
Now when I say most seventy four million people voted

(15:40):
for Trump in their second term, who would have believed it?
But all through I never would speak a worry about them.
I hate it talking about President Biden's cognitive state. It
was horrible and for me, once you start talking disrespectfully
to the president, you lose it. And if it was
true that Kimmel was being disrespectful and making light of

(16:04):
the murder of Charlie Kirk, that was terrible, terribly well.

Speaker 2 (16:10):
It was also the idea of was he indirectly spreading
misinformation about what was going on with regarding the assassination.

Speaker 5 (16:18):
But yeah, let me ask you this question. Let me
ask you this question.

Speaker 2 (16:22):
Your idea of you can't be disrespectful to the president,
does it apply to current or past presidents commenting about
other presidents?

Speaker 5 (16:31):
Because you did you see what Trump did?

Speaker 2 (16:33):
No, but all the portraits of the president, he just
took Biden's portrait down and he put in a picture
of an auto pen instead.

Speaker 3 (16:41):
Oh my god, he's so funny.

Speaker 5 (16:45):
Oh so that's funny. That's not disrespectful. That's funny.

Speaker 3 (16:49):
That's funny. So when it comes to past president, it
depends on where you are. You're in the uit in
front of all the leaders of the world. You don't
insult the formal president. You could do it the way
I'd say it. Why I don't agree with President Biden's
stance on immigration. I think it was a mistake. I'm
talking to you about your plans right now. There's a

(17:11):
way to do it. But I wouldn't have mentioned his name.
He's not on the rally, he's not in a campaign,
and in front of the rest of the world, you
have to put up a good faith. You know. When
Mommy and I would argue, we always agreed we'd never
argue in front of the boys. We'd always have one
face because that was the right thing. It was better
for you and your brother to see us unified and
agreeing on something. And we would fight in private like

(17:33):
every normal couple would, but not in front of you.
So there's a way to behave, and there's a way
to joke, and there's a way to what you're saying.
That's all. And that's why I'm choosing not to discuss
any of the other things he said. I'm glossing over them,
but I am choosing to talk about respect because here's

(17:56):
a guy, me who doesn't care for people. If you
believe me alone, if I go to swimming pool, the
thing I worry most about is somebody coming over to
talk to me anywhere I go. I'm afraid of somebody
coming over to talk about If I go to the
club to play golf, all I'm thinking about is how
do I get in and out a lunch and nobody
talk to me. You got anything more bad you want

(18:16):
to say about your father?

Speaker 5 (18:18):
I think you've done it enough. I don't think I
have to say anything more.

Speaker 3 (18:22):
Well, Okay, by the.

Speaker 2 (18:24):
Way, people don't come up to you now, like I've
noticed that people who used to come up to you.

Speaker 5 (18:28):
They just I think they're afraid of you.

Speaker 3 (18:30):
I don't know what it is. I have a lot
more guys coming out of the woodwork than I never knew,
never talk to me. They seem to know my name.
I know none of their names. I have also a
lot of women who seem to want to say hello
to me right now. I'm hoping it's because I'm a
good father and they see me with you guys. Whatever
else it is, I don't want to know.

Speaker 2 (18:47):
You know.

Speaker 3 (18:48):
In the end, then I'll leave it like this one thing.
I'll tell you that behind anyone in a vision, there
are fifty well intended people undermining that vision. It's so
hard to make change, it's so hard to get things done.
It's so hard to convince people that you're right. And
when you look at our government and you look at

(19:09):
both sides, how could seventy four million people be right
about Trump and his policies and seventy million people think
they're all and nothing. There's not one policy that everyone
can agree on, not one. There's something very very misyanthropic
about our people and our population. Nobody likes anything. We

(19:31):
come back. I'll try and give you some examples of
what could have been easier when it turned out to
be right back in a moment, always in fashion done to.

Speaker 6 (19:41):
Karen began her career as one of the finest, most successful,
powerful women in the fashion industry. She developed a collection
aimed at the luxury market for women on the go,
women who were powerful in their workplace, women who had
lives that extended beyond the workplace, and went from day

(20:01):
in tonight an extraordinary collection. But the interesting thing Donna
Karen had a young daughter, and she had friends and
they couldn't afford to buy the Donna Karen Collection, and
Donna invented DK NY Donna Aaron, New York. It's an
offshoot of the Donna Karen Collection. The same concept a
lifestyle brand. Then we talk about lifestyle brands, What does
that really mean? Simply what they say, there are brands

(20:24):
that follow you throughout your lifestyle. You get up in
the morning, you start to get dressed. Donna Karen decaan
why as intimate apparel, as hosiery, as all those products
you're getting dressed for work. You get accessorized shoes, handbags,
and it takes you through the day. The remarkable thing
about DK and y clothes for work they work into
the evening. The dresses, the suits, the pants, the sweaters,

(20:47):
the blouses. Extraordinary clothes at affordable prices that go from
day in tonight. Part of your lifestyle is active. You
have weekends, you have events, you participate in sports. Donna
ca Arent's casual clothes did that under the dk and
Y label. A vast array of casual sportswear that make
women look great as they navigate their busy lives. Whether

(21:12):
you going to soccer games for your children, or whether
you're going out to the movies, whatever you want to do,
DK and Y genes dk Y sportswear is there for you.
That's what a lifestyle brand is. I need to mention
DKY Activewar, which is extraordinary, the leggings, the sports bras,
the sweats. You can wear DKY Active Wear certainly in

(21:36):
the gym, certainly when you're working out at home, and
certainly if you want on the street, because it's that
well done. The quality of DKY is nothing short of exceptional.
And why shouldn't it be Because it was born from
the idea of luxury made affordable for women of America.
DKY and Wire a true lifestyle brand that takes you

(21:57):
from day and tonight, from the week into the weekend.
DCN Why you can find DCNHY and Macy's DKNY dot com.
As one of the world's most celebrated fashion designers, car
Lagafeld was renowned for his aspirational and cutting edge approach
to style. His unique vision of Parisian shit comes to
America through car Lagofeld Paris. He has women's collections, men's collections,

(22:22):
ready to wear, accessory, shoes and bags. The fashion house
Carlagofeld also offers a range of watches, I wear and
premium fragrances. You can explore the car lagofl collection at
car Lagofelparis dot com. But it's more than that. I
have for one, love to shop. I love going around
and seeing what's happening and what catches my attention, what

(22:43):
would make me feel good to wear Now. I don't
wear the women's wear, obviously, but I can appreciate it
and they look amazing. If you want to look right,
you want to have clothes that fits you well. You
want to look like you're wearing something that's very expensive,
that's exclusive for you, you and yours. You can find
it at very affordable prices at Macy's Orcarlagofel dot com, Paris.

(23:06):
The women's ready to wear fashion is extraordinary, as well
as the handbigs.

Speaker 3 (23:10):
And the shoes. I for one, wear men's clothes, unlike
my appreciation of women's clothes. I'm a modern guy. I
want to look current, I want to look the way
I want to feel. I go out at night, I'm
in black and Carl Lagafel is my buddy. Calls are great,
they fit great, and they have little tweaks and touches,
whether it's a stripe on the sleeve or button at

(23:30):
the neck or on the shoulder. There's a lot of
details that go into Carlagafel because he's always been, he
always had been one of the world's great designers, and
this legacy and goes on and on. I can't speak
enough about it except to say to you, you want
to feel good about yourself. You want to know that
you're dressing properly. You want to clothes that fits you well.
Carl Lagafeld Paris at Macy's Orcarlagafel dot com.

Speaker 1 (23:56):
Welcome back to Always in Fashion. Here's your host, Mark whoever.

Speaker 3 (24:01):
I'm admitting that of all the things people say about me,
the good, the bad, the ugly, the indifferent, the nice things,
I still think I'm a very charming guy. I know
how to smile, I know how to talk. I know
how to turn on the chilem when I need it.
You know how to be friendly. I know how to
be social in spite of the fact that most probably

(24:21):
if I'm standing there talking to you, I'm really not
in the mood. I spend more time in my life
avoiding people, and I've now been called a missing trope.
I don't know that that's what I did. Misanthrope is
someone who dislikes humans, doesn't like them because they're dishonest.
They got a whole bunch of gripes. And maybe that
is me. Feels like I'm a curmudgeon, and sometimes I have,
but I do believe in the midst of all of you,

(24:43):
they're nice people. And I'm not saying I'm a great guy.
You have to decide that for yourself. But I know
how hard it is to win over influence people. I
know how hard it is to get on the same
page with our fellow Americans. If you're just tuning in.
I was this really disconcerted about the disrespect that Jimmy

(25:04):
Kimmel in his comeback tour made towards the president. You
want to argue that he didn't deserve to be canceled.
We could probably argue a lot of things about people
being canceled over what they say, but did he deserve it?
He was not being thinking about the country's greater good
when a young man who seemed to only have the

(25:25):
best intentions was not only attacked but assassinated. So but
you enjoy the conclusions. Not not a political commentator, I
am a deserver. And the way Jimmy Kimmel spoke about
the president when he got back it was horrible. You
don't have to like individuals, but you have to respect
them and treat them respect, listen, and work. If I

(25:46):
would work with people that I liked, I'd be in
a role myself all the time. I mean, I wouldn't
be hanging with people because I have too much disdain
for you as I'm a recluster as a reason. That
make me right doesn't mean you should like me. President.
I believe in him, I believe in his policies. I
believe the country needed to change. I don't agree with everything.

(26:07):
I've always believed in the women's right to choose. There's
a lot of issues that I am different from the president,
but by and launch, he was elected to make change
in this country, and look how hard it is, which
brings me to a story that I thought would be
interesting about how you get things done. Jesse said before

(26:27):
it was interesting when he said that whatever he says
to me, I asked him a million questions to make
sure he's right. I am a believer in cautioning myself
for the rule of unintended consequences. What unintended consequences. You
may make a decision for the right reason, but if

(26:49):
you don't think it through to the endgame, and you
don't understand what you're going to get up by making decision,
it could be a disaster. The example I give and
theory is stand my leg, throw pebble into the water.
The pebble disappears, immediately, think of that as your decision. However,
there are ripples that can go on and on and

(27:10):
on caused by the pebble, and those ripples are the
consequence of the decisions. So you have to think things through.
You have to be thorough and believe me, I understand
in a political world and what goes on, how complicated
it is to get things done in effect change Now,
of all the subjects, I want to use to talk

(27:32):
about how difficult it is to get things done and
why maybe I find it hard getting a lot of people,
I want to talk about the New York Yankees. First
of all, congratulations to the New York Yankees. They made
the playoffs for the sixty to pine in the history
amazing feet. Those of you are Yankee fans know how

(27:53):
exciting this season has been, the ups and the downs.
It's a great team made of a veteran's of young
people who had been on the team and a lot
of new players that all had to be blended together.
And Aaron Boone, as everybody was calling off with his head,
he's not winning. Get rid of him. Has always been
a solid manager. When you hear him talk, when you

(28:15):
hear him in all the press junkets, he's a smart
guy and he knows what he's doing. And I want
to congratulate the New York Yankees for pulling it off.
So congratulations to the Yankees. I want to talk to
you about the Yankees in two thousand and nine. For
a number of reasons, I once became a Yankee fan.
The reality was is we lost a DK Why. I

(28:37):
was the chairman of DK why at the timers, amongst
some other things, who worked for Louis Tatano Annessy, and
I was charged with making the brand successful again. And
we had lost our billboard and soho one of the
most famous billboards ever since so many movies in theaters.
Was a symbol, a iconic symbol of New York. And
when we lost it, someone bought the building and want

(28:58):
to put up their own billboard. We fought the city.
We were on our side for a year. We had
the billboard up until it was rule that it was
in fact iconic, but we couldn't own the building and
therefore we had to take it down. One day, I'm
watching a baseball game and all of a sudden, somebody
hits a home run into right field and as the

(29:20):
ball goes over the outfielder's face and had the sign
comes bigger and bigger on the TV screen. That blew
my mind and filled to the TV scoop. I decided,
I want to be a a Yankee fan, and I
want to put up a billboard and Yankee Stadium. And
my thought process was I hadn't been a fit of
the Yankees for a very long time, but in two
thousand and nine they were poised to win the World

(29:42):
Series and they did, and I said, wouldn't it be
great to support the Yankees? Stop sitting in my conference
room one day and I called in my assistant. I said,
would you get the marketing team to come down to
see me in the half hour. I have an idea
I want to talk to him about. Now. At Donna Aaron,
in particular funny situation, everybody was female. The entirety of

(30:06):
the management team. All my direct reports were women, almost
no men. When I called them down to my office,
there are about sixtus of the room. I said, I
have an idea. I don't think we could ever replace
the iconic billboard that's in Soho, but I want to
take the money that we're invested in it and I
want to put it in Yankee Stadium. Crickets Silence, It's

(30:28):
like one of these it's this Mike on. Women are
looking me around the table and they said, Mark, you
use your mind. We're a women's company. And I looked
at them, and I said, women don't like baseball particularly
I'm sitting there, said, you guys represent all of women
in America. I thought baseball was the number one past

(30:49):
time in the world. You know, I've been to Yankee
games every so often. I've seen a couple of the
games as they're leading up to the World Series. Looks
to me like they get a lot of attention. We
don't belong in the Yankee Stadium. I said, well, thank
you for your opinion. It's nice to know that you
have one. But I want to find out everything there
is to find out about Yankee Stadium because next season

(31:11):
I intend to put a billboard and center field for DK.
And Y market doesn't make sense. We have a men's
business and DK, well why but far and away we're
a women's company. I said, that's good to know. Thank you,
I said to the head of marketing, I said, listen,
I want you to call the Dee Yuk Yankees. I
want you to sit down with them, find out what

(31:33):
a billboard would cost, find out what billboards they may
have available for us, and find out all the demographics
about the Yankees so I can and we can make
us a decision of co mission rather than O mission.
Those of you who pay attention want to learn there's
a difference. Those are two very important words. A decision
of co mission rather than O mission. Back to unintended consequences.

(31:55):
You want to make decisions based on all the facts.
One is much information as you possibly can, so you
can justify the decisions you may and next cold co mission.
In mister card, you go out, you do your homework,
you ask questions, and you learn versus oh mission. Oh,
I didn't realize that we're investing in a company and
everything is off priced. That's oh mission. You didn't do

(32:19):
your homework. A week goes by. I had a lot
of other things to do. I wasn't thinking about it,
and hit me, where are we in? The Yankee called
her on the phone and said, what's going on? Oh?
I haven't called them. I said, I'd like you in
my office in five minutes. Five minutes later she was
in my office. I said, sit down. Why didn't you
talk to the Yankees? Oh? I don't really think it's
right for the brand. So what I did very often

(32:39):
in those days, was I called my assistant on the phone.
So I whispered to my assistant, bringing my business card.
I'll whisper it to you. Bring in my business card.
She comes walking in with my business card and this
is my business card for DK Why And I handed
it to this young lady who's out of marketing. I
think a title was senior vice president. And I said,

(33:02):
what does it say on that card? And she looked
at me. She was a little pissed, but I didn't care.
I was making a point. I said, was it says
it says you're chairman and CEO? I said, well, as
chairman and CEO, whether you agree or not with a
decision to go to the Yankees and put a billboard
in Yankee Stadium, which I haven't decided yet. If I

(33:23):
ask you to contact the Yankees and have a negotiation
and learn everything you can, I expect on return. Now
we have a choice here. Either you're going to do
it in your position, or I will call them up
and then usurp your position and I will talk to them.
That quart of attention said you would do it. A
week later, she came back to see me. She called

(33:45):
in the function, I gotta see it. That said, great,
what's going on? She said, I went to the Yankee stadium.
They have an incredible billboard in center field. It's amazing one,
And I said skeptically. She said, let me tell you something.
The Yankees get three million visitors a year. They get

(34:06):
visitors from all over the world because it's the Yankees
and Yankee Stadium, and because we have such an important
global business. That would be an amazing way and a happy,
fun way to reach a lot of important people from
around the world. In addition to all the people that
come in the United States to Yankee stadiums. And by

(34:26):
the way, Mark, forty six percent of the people coming
to the stadium all women. They come with their husbands,
with their boyfriends, they come with their friends, they come
with their children. We all the young, all in the future.
We're building the Yankee fans with our billboard. I was
amazed at what a professional organization they would have, and

(34:48):
they would run, and they want us to be involved.
And they've agreed that dcn Y would have that center spot.
So you're convinced now, She said, yes, I am. I
didn't have to go to say Mark, you were right,
but I said the following I'd like to go visit
Yankee Stadium with here. Would you arrange for the powers

(35:08):
to be the greetest of the Yankee Stadium. Un let's
go take a look together. I want to show good faith.
I want to show them that you have my support
as the CEO. Let's go do it. A couple of
days later, we're in Yankee Stadium walking the grounds, looking
at the seats that we would buy for ourselves to
entertain our customers and show them the billboard in center field.

(35:29):
We met with the team. They showed us all the facilities.
They showed us where Sweet I would be, where d
can Why Night might be. We even took over all
the concession stands in the legend section where all the
season ticket holders of the best sec Yankee Stadium went
entertained and was called the DKY Lounge. And for five

(35:49):
years after we made that the season dkn Ystern center Field,
and I was proud of it. And not only that,
all our friends from Lvation in Paris or offices around
the world would come to the Yankee Stadium as our guest. Now,
what I've shortcut here is the uncomfortableness that I had
to go through convincing a cast of characters, all women

(36:13):
who didn't believe in baseball for America but I believed
in it. I believe that we should do the right thing,
and that's what you get to do. And I will
tell you, I don't know whether they all talked behind
my back, whether they thought I was crazy, whether they thought.
Whatever they thought, they never showed it to me. They
always showed me respect. And I will tell you something

(36:35):
that turned on interesting. All the women in the company
got so behind the Yankees. It was one of the
most fun things we did at herress the company. We'd
go to the games, we'd arrange special visits, we did
amazing things, and it just goes to show you once
respect is involved, it's important. After I left the company,
the billboard came down and it was replaced by coach.

(36:58):
I was very disappointed to see my billboard in the
Yankee Stadium with d K and why disappear. But after
coaches run with it was done. Go to Yankee Stadium,
you'll see a DKY billboard once again by the same
marketing people that I negotiated with to get it done.
And this billboard is twice the size of the one

(37:19):
that I put in Yankee Stadium. So I'm very proud
of that, and I am very happy to admit that
it is difficult that it is to change people's mind.
Once in a while you get it done. While everyone
with vision has fifty well intentioned people undermining the vision.
I guess I was right back in.

Speaker 5 (37:39):
A moment, always in fashion.

Speaker 6 (37:43):
Than a lifetime of my career building the van usen Brand,
and I am so pleased that they're back with us
now talking about suits. Men were dressing up again and
it's become cool to wear a suit. Suits can be
one on multiplications in couple ways. You could wear a
suit formally to go out at night or to an event,

(38:04):
to wear a suit to the office with or without
a tie. If you look closely, now fashion trends, suits
are being worn with turtlenecks or mark next. The choices
are endless and every one of them looks right. You
could really really look the part. I believe that in
packaging yourself this is important. Does the products you package

(38:25):
and wearing a suit is one of those things that
make men look their best. Venues and invented a new idea.
It's called the cool flex suit. It's been engineered with
stretched technology, giving you the most comfortable fit and mobility.
Its wrinkle resistant fabric, it's cool, moisture WICKI it makes
it perfect for all occasions. As we discussed just now,

(38:47):
this new style of looking sharp while feeling cool and
comfortable is amazing and I'm so excited that the ven
using company is involved in this new technology and is
embracing the whole idea of dressing up. Let's not forget
van Usen made its name with dress shirts. It's only
proper that the soup business follows strongly in its way.

(39:09):
You can find van using kol Flex men's stretch suits
at jcpenny or online at jcpenny dot com. Guys, they're great.
You should go look at them. My favorite brand has
always been IOD. My company at one time bought that brand.
The CEO of the company handed it to me and said,
you better make it work. And I put everything in

(39:30):
my career to make EYESOD work and I fell in
love with that brand, and to this day it is
one of the most exciting endeavors I've ever got involved with.
Isod is an incredibly strong golf brand. If you play golf,
if you play tennis for that matter. They make a
great polo shirts. I mean great, They're fit perfect, the

(39:54):
material is unique, because it's a PK fabric that waffle leave,
you see, and it's made of a blend of cotton
and microfiber that allows you to stretch. And very often
they are treated with solar protection as well, so they stretch,
they're comfortable, and they breathe well. And one thing about

(40:15):
ISAC they always fit. They'll never tug on you. You
put it in your waist that they'll fit you great.
The colors, patterns are sensational. Now I will also tell
you ISAOD makes great shorts and great golf bands. You're
a golf friend. You want to look good. You don't
have to think about how do I look. You want
to think about how you play, not how you feel.
ISOD is the brand for you. I know I was

(40:38):
there when it was created. The strategy behind that brand
is brilliant. It's one of my favorite brands. While I
talk about it, I should tell you about the man's sportswear.
ISOD wasn't enough being a golf brand. It wasn't enough
being just great polo shirts with logos, without logos, incredible
brands and story and history. ISAOD makes salt weather programs,

(41:00):
have great printed woven shirts, short sleeves that look excellent
with colors, excellent, with shorts excellent with cotton pants of
which they also make this whole salt order relaxed line
from ISOT, whether it be fleece, cotton sweaters, knit polos,
woven shirts and pants of a range of colors and

(41:23):
fabrics that are perfect for a guy wants to go
casually in the spring and summer of this year. And
here's the thing, ISOD is affordable. Everyone listening to me
talk about this brand can afford to buy it and
know that there are a lot of other brands that
also have a look like ISID. Although I don't believe

(41:45):
it's fun as Isaad is. The brand has a lot
of energy in it, but at the price points no
one can compete. You can find ISAAC at your leading
retailers and online at ion dot com. Talk to you later, guys.
I wish you I are very happy springing summer, and
I help you by telling you if you were eyes on,

(42:07):
you're going to look great.

Speaker 1 (42:09):
Welcome back to it always in fashion. Here's your host,
Mark Webber.

Speaker 3 (42:14):
I'm a missing from I never thought I was. Turns
out that I am. I'm a guy that just doesn't
seem to like trust or welcome humans. It's sad to
say it. I wasn't always this way. Life put me
in this position now I don't really know how it
affects me on the global stage, whether people talk behind

(42:37):
my back, whether they have this interest in me. I
do know I'm off putting. I do know that I
don't seek out people very often, and when I do,
I'm not sure I'm as attentive as I should be. Now.
The other side of me is when I'm in the mood,
or I want to entertain, or i want to be charming,
I'm as charming as they get. I learned very young

(42:59):
how to smile, how to show interest, even though I
might be feigning it. But I can be a man
of the people when I choose to. I'd like to
believe I'm objective enough to respond as the mirror image
of you. What you bring to the table and meeting me,
i'd like to believe I bring back to you. Having

(43:21):
said that, I recognize that I am not easy. I
am and I am a problem with humans. Now about aside,
I've learned a lot of lessons along the way, and
I've learned how we all interact with each other. I
often wonder whether we find people who are successful, do

(43:45):
we root for that success or we root for them
to miss. When I saw Elon Musk come into government,
I couldn't have been more excited. One of the world's
most brilliant guys, one of the world's most accomplished people.
I rooted for him to succeed. And when he came
in to eliminate waste, to shrink the government, to take

(44:06):
out all the stuff that we may not need, half
the country hated him. It was terrible, and I happened
to believe behind the scenes he and President Trump agreed
to delink the couple because his businesses in his future
were being jeopardized. I don't believe they had a fight,
But what do I know. Having said that, I learned,

(44:29):
and I watched from an early age what it takes
to be successful and be accepted. I go back to
the ninth grade, junior high school. Some people will call
in middle school, actually eighth grade. To be perfectly frank,
One day I'm in class and a young lady comes
over to me before class started and said, we want

(44:53):
you to run for class president. What I don't know,
anybody and you don't know me. What do you mean president.
We think the way you speak, we hear you in class.
We think the way you look you could be great
for the Student Government Organization s GEO. We want you
to run for president. I went to school called Marine

(45:13):
Park Junior High School. That's where they wanted me to run.
I said, let me think about it. I have no
idea what this is about. I went home, talked to
my mother and father, and I said, some people want
me to run for the class president. What do you think? Sure,
that's great. Why wouldn't you, I said, First of all,
I don't think I'm going to win. Why not? Well,

(45:34):
as it turns out, I was running against one guy
who was an egg head, a woman who was an
egg head, and a woman who was a beauty queen.
Never forget, I don't remember their names, unfortunately, or I'll
admit I remember the beauty queen, but I don't really.
Honest Having said that, they wanted me to run, and
I started wearing a thing on my jacket, with my

(45:56):
shirt or my sweater with my name on. I'm Mark Whereber.
I'm running for student the president. I'm running for the
mayor of Marine Park because they called it the City
of Marine Park to school and I'd like to have
you a vote ninety eight ten. Then I'd shake hand,
and it would have events at debates and what have you,
and all the things that I would do. I don't
remember my policies. Somebody gave them to me. I wasn't

(46:17):
smart enough of the time. But on the platform marine
Park wants Mark, believe it or not. I got to
election day and our school had in exitus of two
thousand students, I remember at the time, and I remember
at the end of the day on a Friday, there
was an announcement over the personal address system where everyone

(46:40):
in the school could listen, and they started with seventh
grade president, eighth grade president, ninth grade president, and eventually
got to assistant mayor and then the mayor, and they
had the new mayor of Marine Park Junior High School
is Mark. I was in a class that started screaming,

(47:03):
you know, all happy for me. I was shell shot.
I had no idea what I was doing. I had
no idea what I had done. I had no idea
what it was that I would be able to do.
But I only know I won. It's important election. I
still have the school newspaper when I picture on the
cover Marine Park once more. And what happened next? Someone

(47:27):
from the Guidance Council's office came to see me in
my class and asked God would come down to the
Guidance Council. Sure, I walked down to the guidance counts.
I sat down. She stood up, shook my hand, congratulations,
and she said to me the Guidance Council. Have you
thought about what it means to be the mayor of

(47:49):
Marine Park? And I said, honestly, no, I haven't given
any thought. I'm still surprised I won. I think I'm
very happy. I don't know what I'm gonna do now.
She said, listen, Mark, I want to give you some advice.
She said, you have to think about life this way.
Your life has just changed. I know you don't think

(48:11):
of it, but it has. And you have to consider
that all the people who didn't vote for you just
might be upset that you won the election. They had friends,
they had other candidates. They are not necessarily happy. So
you might have to make up for it by being
even more gracious than you ever been, being nice, smiling,

(48:36):
saying a little to everyone, and the second thing she
said to me, I'll never forget. You also have to
be prepared that those people who you thought were your
friends might not really be your friends. They might be jealous,
they might be envious, and your life has changed. I

(48:56):
want you to think about that over the weekend, talk
to your parents about it, and Monday morning, before still starts,
come see me again. And I never forgot that. And
as I watched the political landscape while I was nobody,
I mean, the head of the school at student government
organization in ninth grade, it was an eye opener and

(49:17):
I was no longer just Mark Weber sitting in the
back of the class. I was now in Mark Weber,
somebody who had to be seen and represent himself in
a new way. And I did. I fast forward. Wow,
how many years thirty forty fifty years later, now working
in business, I become the CEO of the company. And

(49:39):
it was a contentious battle for the CEO spot. Even
though I got there, I first had to become president
of the corporation, and I was one of two vice chairman.
I was one of five or six really key smart
players male and female, who had to fight their way
to the top. And here it was I was about

(50:02):
to be named president. My boss at the time sat
me down, not unlike the head of the guidance councilor
said to me, Mark, your life is about to change.
They are members of the board who think you're great
and think you're right for this position. And they're members
of the board who just might not. There are the
candidates who they may have liked differently. So you have

(50:24):
to understand this is not unanimous. You have a responsibility
to convince them that you're the right man for the job.
But you are going to be named president of the company.
This is the time President Philip stan using public company
on New York stockising. You have to be prepared. You
have to have your radar up. You have to have

(50:44):
one eye behind the head, always realizing that not everyone
is going to be thrilled for you. I am thrilled
for you because I know you can do the job.
Root Awaken, my number one competitor, collaborator equal in position,
who was the other vice chairman, also could have run
the company. Eventually he did. He was promoted when I left,

(51:06):
not to the same job, because I got wonderfully surprised.
I'll tell you that in a minute. But he had
hoped that he'd be the next president, and I had
to go see him. And I've told this story many times.
He was a very very good guy. In fact time
that I was named president, I had eventually retire at

(51:28):
the same time the go PVH and he stayed on
in a similar capacity. He didn't have everything report to
him when he was the president. He didn't have a
seat on the board, which, by the way, one of
my favorite things of all time. My first board meeting
have to be named president. They actually to wait outside.
The board was seated at all the table and at

(51:49):
the head of the table in the seat of honor.
The chair was there, but it was empty. And I
came walking into the board meeting and Peter Solomon, the
lead director at the time, announced to the board, ladies
and gentlemen, your new president, Mark Weber, and they started applauding,
and they said when they stopped and Mark, were proud

(52:09):
to tell you that is your state. You're now a
member of the Board of Directors. I got to tell
you that I felt the responsibility. I felt the weight
of the world on my shoulders, but I also felt
that my shoulders were strong enough to hold the way
to the world. I felt that I achieved my success

(52:31):
the hard way. I found that at this stage in
my life, I was a great listener. I knew you
that you couldn't learn while you were talking, that you
had to listen. I knew that the board of directors
was made up of many people who had skill sets
in areas that I wasn't. Had to finance the legal operations,

(52:51):
different companies, marketing heads. Each of these people were elected
to the board to represent the shareholders, to make sure
that the management of the company executed and delivered on
what they promised. And while I didn't necessarily agree with
all the ideas that would put forth in those board meetings,

(53:12):
I respected every one of those members, and more times
than I care to admit, they were right and I
was wrong. I recognized that in corporate life you had
to come together, that you had to realize that the
some of the teams are what made us great and
wouldn't make us great. The one thing you listened back
to the New York Yankees had talked about before whenever.

Speaker 7 (53:36):
They interviewed one of those players, whether it's Aaron Boone,
the manager, Aaron Judge, the MVP, Jazz, Chisholm, a great
new addition, Austin Wells to catch.

Speaker 3 (53:48):
It didn't matter who they talked to. They all talk
about the team and believing in each other. They all
talk about the fact that they's a team won. Which
brings to mind what happened to the United States of America.
What happened to us remembering that we are a team

(54:10):
and we don't have to agree on everything, but we
should agree on most things. What happened to the respect
that we should have for our fellow leaders, for our
fellow senators, governors, and ferdly to the President of the
United States. I am a misanthrope. I don't like people.

(54:30):
I don't like humans. I don't trust them. I think
they're dishonest, have disappointments in people. I feel that more
times than not, putting trust in people will let you down.
I believe though, in Ronald Reagan's statement, trust but verify it.
I ask you tonight, in the midst of all these controversies,
within this of one of the saddest things we've ever

(54:52):
seen in our life, client assassination of Charlie Kirk, the
young guy who didn't deserve that. I asked the baby,
maybe you'll think about compromising, and maybe, just maybe you'll
respect one another. See. I may be in a misanthrope,
and I may not want anything to do with most humans.
I'm a reculus, but I respect what's right and what's good.

(55:14):
With that, I say good night.