This story could be a challenging class discussion, but it gets at where we draw the line with “jokes.” Apple’s VP of procurement quoted an old movie line and got himself fired.

At a car show, a TikTok creator asked Tony Blevins what he does for a living. With his wife laughing, he quoted Arthur as he got out of his Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren: “I have rich cars, play golf, and fondle big-breasted women. But I take weekends and holidays off.” The video went viral, and Apple terminated the 22-year company veteran.

Students will have opinions, of course. Some will believe, as a New York Post writer believes, “Beyond the gross overreaction, canning top talent over a harmless pop culture reference is a bizarre path to innovation for the world’s top tech company.” Others will find the comment offensive and say that Apple had to act when employees complained to HR. In this sense, the video is an integrity issue for the company.

Either way, it’s a reminder that what students say can end up anywhere and have an impact they don’t intend.