CUPERTINO, Calif. – Well, folks, the reign of the Woke CEO is coming to an end. Tim Cook, champion of pronouns and virtue signaling, is finally stepping down from Apple's throne on September 1. Taking his place is John Tenus, the hardware guy. The hardware guy. Maybe, just maybe, we can get back to making good gadgets instead of pandering to the perpetually offended.

Cook's legacy? Sky-high stock prices (thanks, Fed) and a company increasingly obsessed with ESG scores and social justice theater. Remember when Apple was about innovation and sleek design? Now it's about virtue signaling and rainbow-colored watch bands.

Tenus's background in hardware engineering is interesting. Could this signal a return to core competencies? Will he actually focus on making better iPhones instead of virtue signaling to coastal elites? One can only hope. Maybe he'll get rid of the dongles. Please, get rid of the dongles.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Apple is still a California company, steeped in the progressive Kool-Aid. Tenus will be under immense pressure to continue the woke agenda. Will he cave? Or will he stand up to the SJW mob and prioritize profit and product over performative activism?

The appointment of a hardware guy is telling, though. Apple's innovation has stagnated under Cook. Maybe they finally realized that building a good product is more important than virtue signaling on Twitter. They've certainly got enough cash to buy themselves out of any short-term problems, but if they are too woke to see that they aren't innovating like they should, they will be in trouble sooner or later.

And let's be honest, nobody wants to be lectured about climate change by a company that makes billions of dollars manufacturing products in China, the world's biggest polluter. The hypocrisy is astounding. Hopefully, Tenus can bring some common sense back to the C-suite.

Cook will remain as executive chairman, which means he'll still be lurking around, ready to unleash his woke wrath. But at least he won't be running the show anymore. Maybe, just maybe, Apple can start to unfuck itself.

So, raise a glass (of non-GMO, fair-trade, locally sourced craft beer) to the end of an era. The era of the Woke CEO is (hopefully) coming to a close. Now let's see if the hardware guy can save us from the rainbow agenda and make Apple great again. MAGA.

Sources:

* Apple Investor Relations * U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings