Malcolm Gladwell, Remote Worker, Roasted For Encouraging A Return To The Office

Writer Malcolm Gladwell is under fire after remarks he made on a recent podcast about how workers should get back to the office after years of remote work for some following the coronavirus pandemic. Arguing that working in-person responded to a “deep psychological truth," giving people a greater sense of purpose and honest work, Gladwell seemed to become emotional.

People online, particularly on Twitter, rapidly responded to his remarks, mocking and roasting him heavily.

malcolm gladwell watching me work from home in my pajamas pic.twitter.com/1X2HxOpnEv

— leon (@leyawn) August 7, 2022

Gladwell, a staff writer for The New Yorker since 1996, has purportedly worked from home for decades. He has even written about how positive an experience it is for him, in an excerpt that many on Twitter quoted and shared.

Malcolm Gladwell has a different view on work from home for himself. But you probably already guessed that. pic.twitter.com/cqLqBVr8La

— OG McDuck (@OG_McDuck) August 7, 2022

Some who claimed to have known Gladwell – including a regular at the cafe and a former “fling” – described his love for the work-from-home lifestyle.

malcolm gladwell was a regular at the cafe I used to work at and he never tipped

— Devin Magee (@fireflynoble) August 7, 2022

A number took the chance to dunk on Gladwell, who is one of the bestselling nonfiction writers of the past few years with his books like The Tipping Point and Outliers shaping many conversations and the publishing industry’s view of creative nonfiction. In the past, Gladwell has also faced blowback for what some see as the superficiality and questionable research in his books.

Me and the homies dunking on Malcolm Gladwell pic.twitter.com/xKSUBWuL6G

— dan (least improved) (@TheDantagonist) August 8, 2022

malcolm gladwell should be in jail for 10,000 hours for what he has done to the shelf space of the median second hand book shop

— emi fisher 🎣 (@emi_f1sher) August 6, 2022

Malcolm Gladwell is Joe Rogan for people who read the new yorker

— I'ma Party Clownnnnn (@riverguardian) August 7, 2022

Apparently "dunking on Malcolm Gladwell" has finally surpassed 10,000 hours, and gone mainstream.

— Daniel Jalkut (@danielpunkass) August 8, 2022

Alongside the work from home discourse, others also criticized the writer for his alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein.

Did you know that Malcolm Gladwell released a special edition of “The Tipping Point” bound in black leather for loyal fans? Google “Malcolm Gladwell Black Book” to find out more! https://t.co/DO0OIL8iDW

— Sid, Student of Empire (@Wellstonist) August 8, 2022

As always, a contingent of posters made fun of the latest discourse itself, pointing out that nobody really needs to care about Malcolm Gladwell or have a "right" opinion about him.

Malcolm Gladwell is the Jordan Peterson of Nate Silvers.

— Benjamin Dreyer (@BCDreyer) August 7, 2022

why is Twitter constantly trying to trick me into finding out who Malcolm Gladwell is

— Kim “FIGHT LIKE HELL📕Out Now!” Kelly (@GrimKim) August 8, 2022

It may be true that nobody needs to care about Malcolm Gladwell, but as evidenced by the numbers posts about him are doing, a great number of people want to care.