Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word

At least the hardest spoken word.

That’s my impression after reading about several media faux pas this week by public figures and their subsequent “apologies.”   The faux pas at their minimum could be described as public relations nightmares and at most constituted offenses to either individuals, entire states or entire nations.  Oops really doesn’t cover it.

In each case, I was disappointed to see that the offending public figure chose to “release” his/her apology through a spokesperson (sometimes not even his/her own.)  I understand the practicality of that process from a PR standpoint, but on a more basic level I have to wonder:  If they were bold enough to make their statements directly to media in a public forum, why weren’t they bold enough to own up to the offense just as directly with their method of apology?  

Sometimes “sorry” IS the hardest word, especially when “sorry” is only a means to an end — control the damage, salvage an investment, refocus the attention, reiterate a point, make sure you don’t look as ignorant as you sound, etc.

Here are the apologies I read:

The “Everyone Knows I’m Not Sorry for What I Said, and I Would Say It Again in a Heartbeat, but It’s Causing My Wife Some Problems” Apology
This apology was issued by Jay Carson, spokesman for Hillary Clinton’s campaign on behalf of former President Bill Clinton.  In response to a reporter’s question about his reactions to an upcoming unflattering Vanity Fair article, President Clinton called the author sleazy, dishonest, a slimy guy, and a scumbag.  According to the apology, “the language was inappropriate and he wishes he had not used it.”  Yeah, right.  More likely… “I’m trying to minimize another scandal caused by my big mouth while my wife has a white knuckle grip on possible super delegates.  Oh, and by the way, let me use this statement to remind everyone you’re a terrible journalist and you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Read the story from CNN here… 

The “I Just Cost My Boss a Ton of Money and They’re Making Me Apologize, but I’m Totally Oblivious to the Magnitude of My Ill-Conceived Comments” Apology
This apology was issued by the Shanghai office of Christian Dior on behalf of it’s current spokesmodel, Sharon Stone.  They also announced that Stone’s ads would not be run in China.  While speaking with a reporter on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival, Stone attributed the recent earthquake in China to bad “karma” resulting from China’s poor treatment of Tibet.  According to a FoxNews article about the incident, in the fallout, a major Chinese news agency called Stone the “public enemy of all mankind.”  That can’t be good.  A Foreign Ministry spokesperson also alluded to a possible break in the “mutual trust, understanding and friendship” of the U.S. and China.  Stone’s statement said she felt “deeply sorry and sad about hurting Chinese people.”  She went on to say she would “wholly devote herself” to helping with earthquake relief efforts.  OK.  That should make it all better.
Read the story from FoxNews here… 

– I can’t resist an aside:  What is going on in our celebrity culture that they can take a 5 minute red carpet photo op and offend a country with the largest population in the world, and an (at times) strained relationship with our State Department?  What ever happened to talking about movies?  If you want to deal with social issues, write yourself an OpEd piece for the New York Times — oh, but that would require credibility, coherence and the sign-off of an editor.

– But, I digress.

The “Don’t These People Have a Sense of Humor? I Know It Looks Bad, but I’m Not Running for Anything Right Now So Just Do the Usual” Apology
This apology was issued by Lea Anne McBride, spokeswoman for Vice President Cheney after he offended the state of West Virginia while trying to be a stand-up comedian at the National Press Club.  He subtly implied that the state’s residents are known for in-breeding.  (What was he thinking?)  Responding to denouncements from both Democratic and Republican West Virginia congressmen and the governor, Cheney’s statement said his comments were “not meant to hurt anyone,” and “on reflection, [Cheney] concluded that it was an inappropriate attempt at humor that he should not have made.”  Just how much reflection did that take?  A word to the wise, stick to your day job.
Read the story from FoxNews here… 

(See this article on ehow.com under the title “How to Publicly Apologize, But Not Really“)