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Shark Tank’s Steve bites back after viewers complain about “mansplaining”

Steve Baxter gives as good as he gets after viewers react to shouting down Naomi Simson and grilling an entrepreneur.

Shark Tank guru Steve Baxter has fired back at viewers on Twitter after some took issue with his abrupt manner last night.

Baxter, who grilled several entrepreneurs last night, also argued with Naomi Simson who attempted to defend one early-level inventor.

On social media some viewers accused him of belittling women and “mansplaining”:

You don’t have to be such an arsehole Steve. ? #SharktankAU

Steve’s aggressiveness that gets worse week on week is disgusting. Use to be a huge fan, no more.

Steve needs to stop mansplaining to women entrepreneurs

The way you speak down to the women who present themselves to you as if you’re their superior is disgusting. I’m always very mindful of TV’s editing and viewer’s perception but it’s hard to believe you’re a victim of post-production when you spew so much vitriol and negativity.

I thought Naomi v Steve was last week? #SharkTankAU

Man Steve Baxter is brutal on @sharktankau proclaiming to be a tech guru, it’s time for Steve to accept the fact he was a tech guru in the nineties, but he is being incredibly arogant and rude to this Nadi X lady, it’s appalling.

No wonder Australians don’t take the risk to open businesses when you have arrogant sharks like Steve be littling people on TV, not a shark, a toadfish!!!

I’m so sick of Steve being rude and arrogant to Naomi and the other contestants. Can he be replaced?

What a rude p***k Steve Baxter @sbxr was to this lady! How about showing some respect to women! He was aggressive and offensive for no reason! #auspol #metoo @TenNewsSydney

The more I watch #SharkTankAU the more I think Steve is an INTJ personality

But others defended his abrupt manner:

I like how Steve tells it like it is and doesn’t mince his words

Sharknado Steve is tearing it up

I’m with Steve.. can’t believe I said that ?

Baxter himself, who regularly engages with viewers, gave as good as he got to TEN viewers on the social media platform:

Yeah well tell me which bit where I (and the rest of the men) are disgusting sexist pigs else go away. Your comments so far make you look like an anonymous man hater.

You have a poor attitude to employers. Easy to tar with same brush, lose the prejudice.

Mansplaining? When? What did I say? I call BS btw, not a defensive question.

Bully? We see far more entrepreneurs who produce, sell at markets, get into independent stores etc…. no reason for no progress when you pitch an investor.

Goodo. Goodbye

You an expert? Tell us how they work? The person pitching for $1.8m HAD NO IDEA.

Yes we do. Stop watching then if you don’t like it…. or complain about it on twitter.

Be littling … one word – belittling At least I use my real name… you should back your rude comments with convictions and name yourself!

I am on no meds. Why would you say that? Childish brat…. and you think I am off meds! You seem to not even use your real name!

Last year Baxter told TV Tonight, “I have a merry band of online trolls, they’re pretty funny. If you go on Facebook and people have a go at you I ‘Like’ them, which must drive them insane.

“They call me ‘nasty’, or ‘sexist’, or ‘something-ist.’

“I’m a huge believer of the freedom of the internet. But you can go into an online room and have a conversation, or you can just as easily leave the room and ignore them. So I choose to leave. If they are being nasty to me I don’t have to listen to them.

“They have a right to free speech and I respect that, but it doesn’t mean I have an obligation to listen to them.”

10 Responses

  1. I like Steve…. and what anyone says about him…is more about them than him….
    Other peoples opinions do not define you….Life is less stressful when you realise that.

  2. Steve is my favourite shark – tells it like it is and is never boring. Do think he’s unnecessarily rude and insulting at times but hey, that makes it more entertaining. He’s just a blunt person who doesn’t suffer fools easily.
    I actually find Glen more obnoxious lately.At times he can be quite reasonable and pleasant but there have been a few recent occasions where he’s been really superior, sniggering and putting people down pretty harshly I thought.

  3. That’s the current climate. If a particular ‘group’ don’t want to listen to either the truth or another person’s point of view or opinion, you are “mansplaining”, and they stuff #MeToo hashtags in their ears for good measure.

  4. I hate the whole premise of this show. The rich get richer – but worse than that, they get opportunities paraded in front of them. Sharks eat you alive. Surely that sends warning bells to those who are pitching?

  5. I don’t think it was mansplaining… he was trying to understand the tech behind what was being pitched and he is well within his rights to understand that, after all they were being asked for a significant amount of money.
    Naomi was trying the softly, softly approach and continued to calm the situation but I don’t think Steve mansplained anything to her at all… told her to back down sure but I don’t see anything wrong with that.

    Steve makes the show interesting. He is blunt and honest but that is the reality of business sometimes. With that said, I do like all the sharks and they all bring something different to the show.

    1. I agree, Steve is not my favourite shark but he does say it as it is and that’s all he did. He kept asking how the technology worked and he’d get ‘general’ responses, but no specifics. She wanted a lot of money and had lofty visions of future growth, so she needed to be able to at least explain the technology behind it properly, which she clearly couldn’t. Steve was right to call her out for her lack of knowledge.

  6. The show has always had a direct / blunt tone. Personally, I think this brutally honest feedback is now sorely missing on these types of shows. Better that than to sugar coat something and give ‘vanilla’ feedback – just look at The Voice. I feel this Season’s feedback from is actually a lot softer / kinder than previous ones, but it never anywhere Close the harshness of the US show

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