We all know that Microsoft was The Evil Empire. But this is ridiculous.
In the video above, you'll find Steve Ballmer holed up in a secret lair somewhere in the desert, wearing a white collarless jacket and eagerly explaining how he will soon achieve world domination. "Ladies and gentlemen, I have a plan," he howls. "If this global reinvention is to work, there may be a few competitors that are unfortunately eliminated."
>'If this global reinvention is to work, there may be a few competitors that are unfortunately eliminated.'
Steve Ballmer
Microsoft says the video was a spoof produced for an internal company meeting. And, well, that's some spoof. Yes, the video was made when the Austin Powers franchise was in full swing -- the late '90s and early aughts -- but it also coincided with anti-trust regulators cracking down on Microsoft for the way it used an operating system monopoly to bury competitors, most notably the makers of the Netscape web browser. Netscape once ruled the web. But Microsoft quite quickly erased it from the face of the earth.
When Ballmer pushes the "too ugly to mention" button and a highrise implodes, the joke resonates in more ways than one. And it keeps resonating, as Ballmer lets loose an evil laugh and puts his pinky to his mouth. You might say that Microsoft has a pretty good sense of humor when it comes to its place in the world. Or you could say this hits much too close to home. But one thing's for sure: It's downright weird.
How weird? Look who's playing Austin Powers, dressed in '60s garb, dancing with the go-go girls, and delivering that signature line: "Oh, behave!" We can't even bring ourselves to say it....
