Microsoft pulls a....umm...boner

Microsoft is a global company, so sometimes the software giant has to tailor its message depending on what region it’s in, but even cultural differences can’t possibly describe what was going through the minds of whoever set up a recent developer event in Norway. Microsoft is now playing damage control over a bizarre and borderline offensive dance routine that was part of said event.

At the Norwegian Developers Conference in capital city Oslo, Microsoft had a chance to make a clear and defined message about its cloud-based Azure software platform. Instead, it decided to try to gain the audience’s attention with a showstopping performance that included a bunch of dancers and some, shall we say, questionable lyrics. Lyrics that appeared on large video screens included:

“The words MICRO and SOFT don’t apply to my penis.” Microsoft head of corporate communications Frank Shaw said in a Twitter post, “This routine had vulgar language, was inappropriate and was just not ok. We apologize to our customers and partners.” In a response to YouTube videos of the act, the company wrote, “This week’s Norwegian Developer’s Conference included a skit that involved inappropriate elements … We are looking into the matter.”