Thread regarding Ford layoffs

“Blue ovaling” conjures the thought of circling a toilet drain full of Ty-D-Bol.

@c5 Using that I asked for examples:

A corporate version of blue-balling is when leadership dangles a desirable outcome in front of employees but never actually delivers on it. It creates buy-in and hope, but ends in frustration when the promised benefit doesn’t materialize. At Ford (or similar big companies), this could look like:
• Career opportunities: Telling someone they’re “on track” for a promotion, stretch role, or international assignment — then stringing them along through calibration cycles only to quietly give it to someone else or freeze the role.
• Compensation & rewards: Teasing “record profit-sharing checks” or a big bonus pool, but after endless announcements, employees get only a fraction of what was hinted.
• Product launches: Hyping up a new vehicle program as “revolutionary” (the “Model T moment”), then scaling it back into a mediocre refresh while employees feel let down.
• Culture promises: Advertising a culture of “psychological safety” or “One Ford” teamwork, but in reality, leaving employees exposed, excluded, or unsupported when they raise issues.
• Workplace perks: Announcing new flexible work policies or amenities, only to walk them back with return-to-office mandates or budget cuts.

So, in short: corporate blue-balling = setting expectations high with words, but underdelivering in action. It’s the organizational version of teasing without payoff — leaving employees feeling played.

“Blue-balling” means leading someone on with the promise of something desirable—often s-xual—but not following through, leaving them frustrated or disappointed. “Blue Oval” is a nickname for Ford Motor Company or its vehicles, taken from the iconic blue oval logo. “Blue ovaling” itself isn’t a widely recognized slang term and is most likely a mix-up or playful blend of those two ideas.

@c2 I asked ChatGPT "what is blue ovaling" and it said this:

"Blue Ovaling" is a term often used informally within the automotive industry—especially when talking about Ford Motor Company. It refers to when a supplier, contractor, or employee is asked to modify a product, report, or process to better align with Ford’s expectations or standards, sometimes even if it means bending the truth or dressing things up.

The name comes from:

• The Ford logo, which is a blue oval.
• So "blue ovaling" = making something more acceptable or polished to please Ford (symbolized by the blue oval).

Examples:

• A supplier might be told to "blue oval" a test result—e.g., to present test data in a way that makes it look better or within spec, even if it’s borderline.
• An engineer might be encouraged to reframe an issue so it doesn’t sound like a failure in a Ford project.
• Designs or reports might be altered to give a more favorable impression before presenting them to Ford leadership.

This is highly inappropriate - Blue Ovaling is a s-x term for when you put blue ba--s into an a and then flip the d down the p. Back in my day it was called clowning, but the kids come up with all kinds of weird sh-t nowadays.