Sick of fake celebrity apologies

[Jared Lash]

What got me thinking about this today was that this morning on the way to work I was flipping channels and found something I liked okay (Nirvana maybe?) and then realized that channel always has a morning show (which I don't really care for - Rob, Arnie & Dawn for anyone in the area) and wondered why it wasn't on. Between songs they mentioned the show was off the air and said the details were found on their website. So I checked it out. The home page was now a letter to fans (here it is) which didn't really explain things.

So I did a quick search and read this article. Long story short they said some things that people found offensive, then defended those remarks and only after advertisers started pulling their spots amid protests did they decide that they were really sorry.

I guess my question is why groups even call for an apology in these situations. They have to know it's forced. They have to know that they haven't succeeded in changing the offending person's mind. Is it just to try and draw boundaries? What good do these fake apologies do?

[mike_v_s]

Originally Posted by TheBigO

I guess my question is why groups even call for an apology in these situations. They have to know it's forced. They have to know that they haven't succeeded in changing the offending person's mind. Is it just to try and draw boundaries? What good do these fake apologies do?

In my opinion? Because it's advertising for their message. Those groups wouldn't be in the news that day on their own, but attaching themselves to a hot topic and forcing an "apology" gets their name out and publicly validates the cause. I'm sure donations increase with the temporary publicity, too.

Mike

[MJ5150]

But they're feelings. I thought no one had to apologize for their feelings?

-Mike

[mike_v_s]

Getting more cynical, many groups have a full time staff. I think there is a very real need to ensure that funding continues to stay employed. In essense, some of these groups might exist to perpetuate their own existence.

Let's say you insult left-handed people on air tomorrow. The Left-handed Americans Mandating Equality group releases a statement as soon as you sign off condemning your statement as hate speech and calling for your show to get pulled.

They HAVE to. If they don't, they have to re-evaluate their position in the cause. Everything even remotely backhanded about left-handers will be made out to be the absolute worst thing that has happened in left-handed history in an effort to keep their group viable.

Mike

[MakiSupaStar]

Maybe they were forced to apologize because their whambulance had a flat tire.

[Steveaux]

People need to grow some skin.

If the worst thing that happens to you tomorrow is hearing some that offends you, no matter how much, consider yourself lucky. There are real tragedies happening every day that get pushed to the back pages due to pathetic whiners and their "offensive statements" witch hunts.

[Jared Lash]

We don't have to care about left handers or their feelings, they don't even make up 10% of the population. What are they going to do about it?

I get the protests. I get the calls for boycotts and advertisers to pull their sponsorship. I get the publicity angle completely. What I don't get is why groups call for an apology. What does it matter? Compelling someone to apologize defeats the purpose. The only people who should be compelled to apologize are children when their parents are teaching them right from wrong in the first place.

Does anyone think John Rocker was really sorry? I'm sure he wished he never made his comments, but only because of the ****storm that rained down on him, not because he offended people. Did Michael Vick look sorry to you? To me he looked angry/shocked that he was facing the penalties he was, not remorse for abusing animals.

I guess I just don't see the point. All it shows is that you used pressure to force someone to cower - it certainly doesn't actually produce contrition.

[hover]

Just gotta love those zany, edgy shockjocks. Yeah, worked real well for Opie & Anthony, nor shall it work for these douches. There's a reason I haven't turned regular radio for years. Infantile stunts and an idiotic sue happy public don't mix.

[Joe Gress]

I remember when we used to not get offended by everything. But I also understand mikes posts. There is always five ways of looking at one story.

[warwick.hoy]

I'm willing to bet that a minority of people that actually heard the comments were offended (if any),...whereas the majority of listeners probably nearly crashed their cars whilst laughing.

As far as I'm concerned,...apologies,..schmapologies,...I'm sick of celebrities in general.

[MJ5150]

Originally Posted by mike_v_s

Let's say you insult left-handed people on air tomorrow.

As a left handed American, I want to know why you chose left handed people for your analogy. What kind of hatred do you have against left handed people anyway?

What's next? Anti-left handed people Google ad's at the top of this thread when I click on it? TalkBass should be ashamed to allow this kind of disrespectful talk.



-Mike

[Joe Gress]

Mike,

Your avatar is offensive to anyone from Arizona.

[Spector_Ray]

I'm sick of fake celebrities.

[Steveaux]

Originally Posted by mike_v_s

Getting more cynical, many groups have a full time staff. I think there is a very real need to ensure that funding continues to stay employed. In essense, some of these groups might exist to perpetuate their own existence.

Let's say you insult left-handed people on air tomorrow. The Left-handed Americans Mandating Equality group releases a statement as soon as you sign off condemning your statement as hate speech and calling for your show to get pulled.

They HAVE to. If they don't, they have to re-evaluate their position in the cause. Everything even remotely backhanded about left-handers will be made out to be the absolute worst thing that has happened in left-handed history in an effort to keep their group viable.

Mike

Let's hope these folks don't team-up with Americans for Sensitive Socialism

[Jared Lash]

Originally Posted by Steveaux

People need to grow some skin.

If the worst thing that happens to you tomorrow is hearing some that offends you, no matter how much, consider yourself lucky. There are real tragedies happening every day that get pushed to the back pages due to pathetic whiners and their "offensive statements" witch hunts.

In general I'd agree. Make your point by changing the station. I don't want to get political (just using an example) but I would very occasionally listen to Michael Savage's show on the way home from work. My political views are by and large very different from his, but I like listening to people with views different from mine. But the day he insisted repeatedly that autism was nothing more than bratty kids whose parents didn't discipline them, I stopped listening completely.

Originally Posted by hover

Just gotta love those zany, edgy shockjocks. Yeah, worked real well for Opie & Anthony, nor shall it work for these douches. There's a reason I haven't turned regular radio for years. Infantile stunts and an idiotic sue happy public don't mix.

The problem with being "edgy" is that you have to constantly move the edge or risk becoming stale. And in this day and age, pushing boundaries will almost always end in a lawsuit.

Originally Posted by warwick.hoy

I'm willing to bet that a minority of people that actually heard the comments were offended (if any),...whereas the majority of listeners probably nearly crashed their cars whilst laughing.

I'm sure most did - they seem to have good ratings. But personally I've never found them entertaining any time I stumbled upon their show. I was happy music was on that station. I generally don't even bother trying to listen to FM radio in the mornings.


Again, I understand interest groups using incidents to push their agenda, it's their right and sometimes I agree with their efforts depending on the cause. But individual people often get much more offended than I would think. Why were people surprised (or even care) that a bounty hunter who calls himself "Dog" is a racist? Or that morning radio show hosts are idiots?

[MJ5150]

Originally Posted by joeinsprings

Mike,

Your avatar is offensive to anyone from Arizona.

and Washington, Texas, Minnesota, and California.

-Mike

[mike_v_s]

Originally Posted by Steveaux

Let's hope these folks don't team-up with Americans for Sensitive Socialism

I don't get it.

Mike

[mike_v_s]

Originally Posted by MJ5150

As a left handed American, I want to know why you chose left handed people for your analogy. What kind of hatred do you have against left handed people anyway?

What's next? Anti-left handed people Google ad's at the top of this thread when I click on it? TalkBass should be ashamed to allow this kind of disrespectful talk.



-Mike

You're freaks of nature that should be taken to reeducation camps in the middle of the night and forced to write right. You know why you only make up 10% of the population? Because evolution has all but eliminated your defect.

Two generations from now Daniel Day-Lewis will star in a crappy rescript called Last of the Left-handers whose only saving grace will be when Mogwa actually wins at the end. The theater will erupt in joyous-near primal screaming and we'll all go home, grap our pitch forks, light the torches and put an end to this tomfoolery once and for all.

Mike

[hover]

Originally Posted by TheBigO

The problem with being "edgy" is that you have to constantly move the edge or risk becoming stale. And in this day and age, pushing boundaries will almost always end in a lawsuit.

Right...but there's always that point where it goes from fun-spiritted to just flat out wrong and or mean, and you can always tell in their voice that they know they are crossing the line completely, but yeah, it's an endless pit of lame stunts. Same reason I don't really listen to Howard anymore...I know, sacriledge to some people...

[Joe Gress]

Originally Posted by MJ5150

and Washington, Texas, Minnesota, and California.

-Mike

Hey I don't care about the rest of em.