UNITED STATES-Why is it when a big-time celebrity makes idiotic statements their attempts to come across apologetic ends up being much worse than they ever expected? Who knows, but I have a feeling everyone knows who I’m referring to, yep, Donald Sterling. He did a sit down interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper and it was absolutely atrocious to watch.
This is the big problem with celebrities who find themselves in the midst of a scandal. There is always this media glitz to get “my side” of the story out there to the public, to explain why I did what I did or why I said what I said. That’s the problem, when a scandal is very fresh to the public; it’s not the brightest idea to speak right away. THINK ABOUT IT FOR A SECOND. You can’t just conduct an interview with a top-notch journalist and not be expected to be grilled or put in the hot seat over your actions.
It appeared Sterling just dug his grave even further with the interview, as he attempted to garner sympathy votes from the American public. Sorry, but at this point no one believes what you’re saying; you’ve made your feelings crystal clear to minorities about how you feel about them. That’s not the worse part of the interview; it was his repeated jabs at basketball legend Magic Johnson.
Wow, I couldn’t believe what this guy was saying. Even during the interview, it was apparent Anderson Cooper was taken back by the comments Sterling made. The bigger question everyone wants to know is if the Clippers’ owner had any idea of what he was saying? Uh, yeah, he did, he was very aware in my opinion. To hear him literally eviscerate Magic Johnson for having AIDS (sorry, Donald, he doesn’t have AIDS, he’s HIV positive) and to berate the superstar as if it’s his fault for the scandal that has hovered over him is absolutely absurd.
This man has been an advocate for fighting the HIV and AIDS virus, has given to countless charities amongst other amazing accomplishments. It almost felt as if Mr. Sterling was attempting to deflect the media attention from him and directing it at the guy “who he thinks” is responsible for the fireball that has captured the nation’s attention.
Take accountability for your actions. Don’t just sit back and expect the media or America to forget what has transpired, you may not always be talked about, but you can be certain people haven’t forgotten they never do. Just ask Paula Deen. Trying to have a PR nightmare fixed in a matter of days or weeks is a major problem for anyone who is in the public limelight. Unfortunately, things don’t work that way in the media driven culture we now live in. Everything is consumed on the Internet, our mobile phones and devices, people will always talk about a scandal. Why? Because it’s conversation filler.
The thing that celebrities and people of the media must come to realize is that an insincere apology is much worse than the debacle that put you in the situation to begin with. Think about what it is you want to say, speak from the heart and above all don’t read from a script. Authenticity is something people look for when it comes to forgiveness. We can spot a phony, a fake and scoundrel from a mile away, and it only makes the public despise your behavior or actions that much more.
