For those watching closely, his 80-minute video announcing Facebook’s rebrand delivered some self-referential jokes.
Amid a massive company pivot, a monthlong press cycle and increasing calls for regulation, Mark Zuckerberg wants everyone to know he has a sense of humor. In an 80-minute keynote presentation announcing his company’s name change — from Facebook to Meta — and a shift away from traditional social networking, the 37-year-old chief executive made sure to insert a longstanding gag that his employees and followers would appreciate: a bottle of barbecue sauce. Eagle-eyed watchers knew that this wasn’t just any condiment standing on the bookshelf behind Mr. Zuckerberg. It was Sweet Baby Ray’s, the tangy grocery store staple that’s been elevated to meme status ever since the Facebook founder mentioned it in a now infamous 2016 video at least 11 times while “smoking meats” in his backyard. He was poking fun at himself. While Mr. Zuckerberg has struggled to make himself seem empathetic and relatable, he and his army of press handlers seem to have figured out that a little self-deprecation goes a long way in making a man worth $116 billion look a bit more normal. They’ve made a yearslong effort to rehabilitate his image — one that’s been defined by onstage meltdowns, weird declarations and constant company crises.
