Apologize For Nothing.

[HisRoyalGreeness]

With Richard Sherman being the latest person made to issue a public apology, it makes me ask "Why?" This isn't just about him, it's about every public figure that has spoken their mind to the chagrin of anyone. With social media being the standard in commuication these days it's easy for someone to make a remark and instantly get taken to task. When did we become so sensitive and entitled? If someone says something, offensive or not, it's their opinion and they have every right to it. But the second one person gets offended it ends up getting turned into a public trial and insincere retractions get made. I guarantee you if John Hancock and Thomas Jefferson had Twitter they wouldn't be apologizing for shit. I'm usually not one to go off on a tirade but this had been irking me for a while now. I just wanted to put it out there and see where everyone else stands.

["Gentleman" AJ Powell]

I'm sorry.

[Deleted]

I am sorry that Jeffrey Dahmer never opened the restaurant he wanted to

[Push R Truth]

I'm sorry guys, I'm the reason SURGE is no longer being made

[HisRoyalGreeness]

I accept these apologies.

[ICBM]

I used to feel that way. But as I got older it changed. I realized that Charles Barkley was incorrect when he said he is not a role model. Celebrities because of the attention they receive are admired and emulated regardless of their opinion on that status. As such, anything you say or do is subject to scrutiny. My sphere of influence is smaller than Sherman's. But if I did something close to what he did, those who know me would likely weigh in. Sherman is known by millions of people. So the impact is greater. The reaction of America to his comments is A form of entertainment. We engage in conversation about it bc it entertains us and sometimes can use such events to teach lessons. If my son was a little league player, I'd point to this and say that it is an example of bad sportsmanship. I value good sportsmanship and will teach my son that. So this would be apractical example bc Sherman is A pro athlete and little league players, per wee football players etc. will always admire pros

[Deleted]

If you are in the public eye, then you are a brand, a business. Apologize if you offend someone, move on, and keep making money. You may be sincere, you may not, but why risk your future through a comment?

[Bravo Echo November]

OK! I'll talk! In third grade, I cheated on my history exam. In fourth grade, I stole my uncle Max's toupee and I glued it on my face when I was Moses in my Hebrew School play. In fifth grade, I knocked my sister Edie down the stairs and I blamed it on the dog... When my mom sent me to the summer camp for fat kids and then they served lunch I got nuts and I pigged out and they kicked me out... But the worst thing I ever done - I mixed a pot of fake puke at home and then I went to this movie theater, hid the puke in my jacket, climbed up to the balcony and then, t-t-then, I made a noise like this: hua-hua-hua-huaaaaaaa - and then I dumped it over the side, all over the people in the audience. And then, this was horrible, all the people started getting sick and throwing up all over each other. I never felt so bad in my entire life.

[HisRoyalGreeness]

The thing is, these people know they're in the public eye. They don't just wake one day and forget that. If they're speaking from the heart, that's on them. If they want to apologize, that's cool. My problem is with everybody being so quick to make a big deal about what celebrities/ public figures say instead of moving on with their own lives. We hold celebrities on too big of a pedestal. I guess I just started my statement off on the wrong note.

[SHAKEMASTER TV9 is Don Knotts]

I'm sorry for. two thousand four-teen.

[CMWaters]

Hey, Child Like Empress, I'm sorry about The Nothing...

[SEAN CARLESS]

Jan 21, 2014 11:02:06 GMT -5 HisRoyalGreeness said:

The thing is, these people know they're in the public eye. They don't just wake one day and forget that. If they're speaking from the heart, that's on them. If they want to apologize, that's cool. My problem is with everybody being so quick to make a big deal about what celebrities/ public figures say instead of moving on with their own lives. We hold celebrities on too big of a pedestal. I guess I just started my statement off on the wrong note.

It often comes down to arrogance in people thinking that their personal outrage and opinion should be catered to. It's like 'how dare this celebrity I've deified say something I don't agree with!" My advice to those types: Who gives a f***? Ignore them the same way you'd ignore an idiot neighbor who said or did offensive or ridiculous things.

Celebrities owe nobody anything, regardless of the moronic belief that they somehow do. We pay them to entertain us within whatever medium they're in. And that's it. Beyond that I give no shits. I don't care if Mel Gibson threatened a gold digging ex girlfriend or called a cop Sugar tits. I don't have to live with him. I don't care if Tiger Woods f***ed a busload of women while married. Dude gets paid to play golf, not raise our f***ing kids. No one on earth buys Nike's because they want Tiger's morality or Jon Jones' virtues. They buy them so you can pretend your fat ass has a shot at being better at sports. That's it. Let's not pretend it's anything more. The rest is a media created smokecreen of manufactured horse shit. Who gives a f*** that the Duck Dynasty guy thinks being gay is a sin? Why would you hold anything a dude who made his fortune off of looking like he rapes canoers seriously? Because he's got a TV show? Does that make him any less of a hayseed? Who gives a shit. I don't look to false idols for virtue and morality. These imbeciles are all dancing clowns for our amusement. That's it.

Instead, turn your vitriol to politicians and lawmakers who blatantly lie under the pretense of being just and acting in our best interests. Seek out those who are duplicitous and expose those dickheads and demand apology and restitution from them. But just laugh when the duck guy or anyone else says or does something stupid.  Who cares.

[Reflecto]

Jan 21, 2014 11:32:40 GMT -5 SEAN CARLESS said:

It often comes down to arrogance in people thinking that their personal outrage and opinion should be catered to. It's like 'how dare this celebrity I've deified say something I don't agree with!" My advice to those types: Who gives a f***? Ignore them the same way you'd ignore an idiot neighbor who said or did offensive or ridiculous things.

Celebrities owe nobody anything, regardless of the moronic belief that they somehow do. We pay them to entertain us within whatever medium they're in. And that's it. Beyond that I give no shits. I don't care if Mel Gibson threatened a gold digging ex girlfriend or called a cop Sugar tits. I don't have to live with him. I don't care if Tiger Woods f***ed a busload of women while married. Dude gets paid to play golf, not raise our f***ing kids. No one on earth buys Nike's because they want Tiger's morality or Jon Jones' virtues. They buy them so you can pretend your fat ass has a shot at being better at sports. That's it. Let's not pretend it's anything more. The rest is a media created smokecreen of manufactured horse shit. Who gives a f*** that the Duck Dynasty guy thinks being gay is a sin? Why would you hold anything a dude who made his fortune off of looking like he rapes canoers seriously? Because he's got a TV show? Does that make him any less of a hayseed? Who gives a shit. I don't look to false idols for virtue and morality. These imbeciles are all dancing clowns for our amusement. That's it.

But the reason for why it is an issue is:

Jan 21, 2014 10:41:13 GMT -5 ICBM said:

I used to feel that way. But as I got older it changed. I realized that Charles Barkley was incorrect when he said he is not a role model. Celebrities because of the attention they receive are admired and emulated regardless of their opinion on that status. As such, anything you say or do is subject to scrutiny. My sphere of influence is smaller than Sherman's. But if I did something close to what he did, those who know me would likely weigh in. Sherman is known by millions of people. So the impact is greater. The reaction of America to his comments is A form of entertainment. We engage in conversation about it bc it entertains us and sometimes can use such events to teach lessons. If my son was a little league player, I'd point to this and say that it is an example of bad sportsmanship. I value good sportsmanship and will teach my son that. So this would be apractical example bc Sherman is A pro athlete and little league players, per wee football players etc. will always admire pros

For better or worse, that's the problem. Again, Charles Barkley had always said the "I am not a role model" quote was taken out of context- because in Barkley's view, the only role models a child should have are their parents. He's never denied that comment, and honestly it's reasonable (no matter how much you admire a celebrity, your parents are the ones who raise you- and if you are a parent, it's your duty to raise your child right.)

This is why celebrities' getting this much attention for their poor beliefs is the real problem- when it comes down to it, most of the issues with this scrutiny can boil down to "But I don't WANNA raise my kids! We got this television and this Internet connection for a reason- so we don't have to pay for a babysitter!" A good parent, if someone like a Sherman, or a Gibson or Tiger or Duck Dynasty guy, says something stupid, it's the job of the parents to say "...word to the wise, this guy's an assclown. you can admire them for [X], but don't be like that". Unfortunately, too many parents get outraged by these things not for the outrage, but because they expect celebrities to raise their kids for them.

[Orange]

In the case of Richard Sherman, he issued the apology for himself and by himself, because he felt bad that his antics were getting more attention than the team's win. It had nothing to do with anybody being entitled.

[Sephiroth]

Jan 21, 2014 10:57:14 GMT -5 Bravo Echo November said:

OK! I'll talk! In third grade, I cheated on my history exam. In fourth grade, I stole my uncle Max's toupee and I glued it on my face when I was Moses in my Hebrew School play. In fifth grade, I knocked my sister Edie down the stairs and I blamed it on the dog... When my mom sent me to the summer camp for fat kids and then they served lunch I got nuts and I pigged out and they kicked me out... But the worst thing I ever done - I mixed a pot of fake puke at home and then I went to this movie theater, hid the puke in my jacket, climbed up to the balcony and then, t-t-then, I made a noise like this: hua-hua-hua-huaaaaaaa - and then I dumped it over the side, all over the people in the audience. And then, this was horrible, all the people started getting sick and throwing up all over each other. I never felt so bad in my entire life.

HIT PUREIT!!!

[Munkie91087]

I never apologize. I'm sorry, but that's just the way I am.

[HisRoyalGreeness]

Jan 21, 2014 11:59:07 GMT -5 Orange said:

In the case of Richard Sherman, he issued the apology for himself and by himself, because he felt bad that his antics were getting more attention than the team's win. It had nothing to do with anybody being entitled.

Sherman's situation is just what sparked it for me. I understand why he apologized and that's good on him. It was more of a rant on how a lot of people in general get up in arms when someone makes a controversial statement. Sherman in just the most recent person who's been involved in such media coverage. I guess a better example would be Phil Robertson. While I may not agree with the things he said I do find it insane that such a huge deal was made of it to the point where he was "suspended" from his show. Public figures have just as much of a right to their opinions as we do. If I make a derogatory statement about anything I'm not expected to take back what I said, nor should anybody else.

[ibdude]

I'm pretty sure a lot of them don't mean it when they issue those apologies. But, at the end of the day they want to protect their brand. They don't want to kill the goose that laid the golden eggs.

[Raskovnik]

I don't apologize for anything I say because odds are if I say it I mean it. I'm not a fan of mincing words or wasting them. I don't go out of my way to be an asshole or anything though. There's a difference.

[ICBM]

Jan 21, 2014 11:44:57 GMT -5 Reflecto said:

Jan 21, 2014 11:32:40 GMT -5 SEAN CARLESS said:

It often comes down to arrogance in people thinking that their personal outrage and opinion should be catered to. It's like 'how dare this celebrity I've deified say something I don't agree with!" My advice to those types: Who gives a f***? Ignore them the same way you'd ignore an idiot neighbor who said or did offensive or ridiculous things.

Celebrities owe nobody anything, regardless of the moronic belief that they somehow do. We pay them to entertain us within whatever medium they're in. And that's it. Beyond that I give no shits. I don't care if Mel Gibson threatened a gold digging ex girlfriend or called a cop Sugar tits. I don't have to live with him. I don't care if Tiger Woods f***ed a busload of women while married. Dude gets paid to play golf, not raise our f***ing kids. No one on earth buys Nike's because they want Tiger's morality or Jon Jones' virtues. They buy them so you can pretend your fat ass has a shot at being better at sports. That's it. Let's not pretend it's anything more. The rest is a media created smokecreen of manufactured horse shit. Who gives a f*** that the Duck Dynasty guy thinks being gay is a sin? Why would you hold anything a dude who made his fortune off of looking like he rapes canoers seriously? Because he's got a TV show? Does that make him any less of a hayseed? Who gives a shit. I don't look to false idols for virtue and morality. These imbeciles are all dancing clowns for our amusement. That's it.

But the reason for why it is an issue is:

Jan 21, 2014 10:41:13 GMT -5 ICBM said:

I used to feel that way. But as I got older it changed. I realized that Charles Barkley was incorrect when he said he is not a role model. Celebrities because of the attention they receive are admired and emulated regardless of their opinion on that status. As such, anything you say or do is subject to scrutiny. My sphere of influence is smaller than Sherman's. But if I did something close to what he did, those who know me would likely weigh in. Sherman is known by millions of people. So the impact is greater. The reaction of America to his comments is A form of entertainment. We engage in conversation about it bc it entertains us and sometimes can use such events to teach lessons. If my son was a little league player, I'd point to this and say that it is an example of bad sportsmanship. I value good sportsmanship and will teach my son that. So this would be apractical example bc Sherman is A pro athlete and little league players, per wee football players etc. will always admire pros

For better or worse, that's the problem. Again, Charles Barkley had always said the "I am not a role model" quote was taken out of context- because in Barkley's view, the only role models a child should have are their parents. He's never denied that comment, and honestly it's reasonable (no matter how much you admire a celebrity, your parents are the ones who raise you- and if you are a parent, it's your duty to raise your child right.)

This is why celebrities' getting this much attention for their poor beliefs is the real problem- when it comes down to it, most of the issues with this scrutiny can boil down to "But I don't WANNA raise my kids! We got this television and this Internet connection for a reason- so we don't have to pay for a babysitter!" A good parent, if someone like a Sherman, or a Gibson or Tiger or Duck Dynasty guy, says something stupid, it's the job of the parents to say "...word to the wise, this guy's an assclown. you can admire them for [X], but don't be like that". Unfortunately, too many parents get outraged by these things not for the outrage, but because they expect celebrities to raise their kids for them.

I'm the parent who does not allow TV to raise my children. But I know to a certainty, that one day the larger than life personas they see on TV and in movies will replace me because I am familiar to them and the stars are not. That is normal. When that happens, I will do just as I said I would above and look for lessons I can relate and explain to them that are in line with our values.