For the past few years, I've been noticing a trend when people (usually celebrities, since they're publicized) go off the deep end and spout a stream of racial / sexist / ageist / homophobic epithets.
The pattern goes like this:
1. Totally Irrational and Narrow-sighted Outburst!
2. Insert Profanity Laced Epithets Here.
3. Time Passes.
4. Embarrassed, Public Apology That References Acquaintances by Six Degrees of Separation.
I'll be specific. This happens all the time but the most recent example I can think of is the case of Major League Umpire Billy Van Raaphorst, a gay man. Edmonton Capitals manager Brent Bowers had a public meltdown during a game and called Van Raaphorst some terrible names. When he later made his apology to the public (still not apologizing to Raaphorst himself), he referenced the following:
You're not excused. Tracks cannot be covered by pulling names from the air. The fact that a person can offhandedly name a few homosexual acquaintances (or people of the race, age, or gender they have displayed prejudice about) after such an outburst doesn't make them exempt from owning up to their bigoted behavior. If you truly knew and respected your mother's hairdressers and your cousin, you wouldn't have gone there in the first place.
You're still a jerk.
The pattern goes like this:
1. Totally Irrational and Narrow-sighted Outburst!
2. Insert Profanity Laced Epithets Here.
3. Time Passes.
4. Embarrassed, Public Apology That References Acquaintances by Six Degrees of Separation.
I'll be specific. This happens all the time but the most recent example I can think of is the case of Major League Umpire Billy Van Raaphorst, a gay man. Edmonton Capitals manager Brent Bowers had a public meltdown during a game and called Van Raaphorst some terrible names. When he later made his apology to the public (still not apologizing to Raaphorst himself), he referenced the following:
"I didn’t care that (Van Raaphorst) was gay. My mom works with a lot of gay hairdressers and I joke around with those guys all the time. My cousin, she’s a lesbian. It doesn’t matter to me, as long as people are happy.”Oh? So the people that do your mother's hair and your cousin are gay? Why didn't you tell us that earlier?
You're not excused. Tracks cannot be covered by pulling names from the air. The fact that a person can offhandedly name a few homosexual acquaintances (or people of the race, age, or gender they have displayed prejudice about) after such an outburst doesn't make them exempt from owning up to their bigoted behavior. If you truly knew and respected your mother's hairdressers and your cousin, you wouldn't have gone there in the first place.
You're still a jerk.
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