Take it for what it’s worth. The more he says, the more angry Mo’Kelly becomes. Does he not know to just shut up? Clearly not. This wasn’t an apology, it was a rambling excuse-laden explanation.
He still doesn’t get it.
It’s not about an apology or him not doing interviews anymore. Mo’Kelly (and others) are only talking about the most recent one he did, not whether he chooses to do any others in the future. But maybe it is for the best he just stops talking. If he ever actually gets around to stop talking.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INgaBsxDFng]
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The Mo’Kelly Report is an entertainment journal with a political slant; published weekly at The Huffington Post and www.eurweb.com. It is meant to inform, infuse and incite meaningful discourse…as well as entertain. The Mo’Kelly Report is syndicated by Blogburst. For more Mo’Kelly, https://mrmokelly.com. Mo’Kelly can be reached at [email protected] and he welcomes all commentary.
27 responses to “John Mayer Cries/Apologizes (VIDEO)”
What about that made you angry?
Too much explanation, way too much. Sometimes…if not most times, "I'm sorry" is enough. He was patronizing to the point of being ridiculous.
Here's the full length video, to remind us of what happens when he shuts up and plays:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0_F72rbH_I
Morris,
Let's give the man five minutes to get his head around the whirlwind.
When these things go viral, I can only suspect that they can do a number on the person in question.
Is there any more question in your mind where the man was coming from?
And can you be angry at somebody and still love them?
I can 🙂
so wait, he's NOT doing any more interviews?
*cue Hallelujah Chorus*
Agreed. It will give him more time to play crazy mad blues guitar.
He may have lost the ghetto pass that he said he didn't have, but that guitar of his, that's a different story.
And by the way, who among us doesn't wish we were famous enough to go viral for some stupid thing we say?
We say lots of stupid thing in here, and nobody notices…
:-O
Holly Robinson Peete: 'I seriously do not believe John Mayer is a racist'
At first, Holly Robinson Peete "blushed" when she heard John Mayer's Playboy remarks about her being "gorgeous," but after she read the complete article, she took to her blog to explain she doesn't condone racist remarks.
But, she adds,
I never said I thought he was a racist. You will not find that anywhere in anything I've said about John Mayer. I have said that what he said was ignorant and indefensible. I have said that I thought he was probably trying to be witty, funny and clever. He succeeded on none of that and only reached the level of highly offensive.
"Insensitive."
I'm willing to leave it at that.
Morris?
Yes, and my question is this: Can a 322 year old not yet fully grown man be forgiven for such an indiscretion?
Please note that you and many others got it wrong: He specifically said he did NOT have a hood pass, and you along with many others reported the revers.
As a result, many people DO think he's a racist, and Holly is reporting from the front lines that she has been OUTED as not being in solidarity on this point.
In other words, this becomes a wrong committed on Mayer, to accuse him of things he did not say and to then base a very harsh judgment on that misunderstanding.
When things go viral, they can go very wrong very quickly.
All of which was at least as wrong as Mayer's actual offense.
I've asked you three questions so far, waiting for an answer:
1. Do you understand now where he was coming from?
2. Did you read his attempt to describe "What does it mean to be black", and do you acknowledge that he is at least trying to intelligently answer that? In other words, pointed in the right direction?
3. Is "insensitve" a reasonable description of his primary offense?
Walt…at 32, you're a full-grown man. I'm not going to let that slide. Forgiven? Yes. Punished in a media sense? Absolutely. I'm not obligated to buy his music or exalt him and he has been exalted on this very blog. You seem to want forgiven AND forgotten. Uh…not going to happen. And to be honest, he apologized to a concert audience of FANS, he didn't apologize to me (read: Black folks). As for whether many people do think he's a racist…not my problem. But after you throw around "David Duke" "White supremacist" in connection to Black women (which has ALL TYPES of historical baggage that can't be ignored) I understand how some may come to that conclusion. And in all honesty, if people do think that, Mayer would have rightfully earned the label.
I find it odd to chastise the offended moreso than the offender. John Mayer is not the victim here, though hard you try to paint that picture. I'm not going into this word for word analysis of the remarks, doing so misses the overriding point. He was so far beyond the pale. This isn't about whether a word here or there should have been different or in his heart he really likes and respects Black people.
NONE of that is relevant to me. At the end of the day I can hold up the Playboy interview to John Mayer and ask "did you say this?" And his answer will be, has been and will always be…"yes."
And yes, I completely understand where he was coming from and I'm no less offended. The same with Nas when he was trying to "explain" the "value" of the word "Nigger" and why he named his whole CD after it. I intellectually understand and was completely offended at his level of ignorance too.
His description of what it means to be Black was also tremendously ignorant. Ignorant is the best descriptor…completely lacking in knowledge. I'm not debating the merits of his remarks with you anymore Walt. They are utterly offensive, period. Whether other people categorize him as a racist is not my problem and definitely not my fight. Holly Robinson Peete has her own opinion, and I'm sure Kerry Washington has hers too. But I don't need to check in with either to be "sure" whether I should be offended or not.
I'm sure.
And no, "insensitive" is not an apt description. Some things are just egregious and insensitivity and egregious are incompatible. This was egregious.
We can go round and round about whether Mayer "thought" he had a Hood Pass. But at the end of the day, anybody who has that discussion and decides on his own to add "Nigger" to it…is in the indefensible realm. Playboy didn't go there…he did. He went "David Duke" and "white supremacist"…not Playboy. He gets what he gets. It's not for me to bail him out of this.
Morris,
You cannot possibly justify "And in all honesty, if people do think that, Mayer would have rightfully earned the label."
Not possibly.
Walt, if you use White supremacist, dick, cock, David Duke and Black women in the same thoughts in a sexual sense, there's a whole documented history of the degradation of Black women through White supremacy. Yes, he would've rightfully earned that label. He went there on his own. If some see him that way, it's a valid conclusion.
Morris wrote: "He gets what he gets. It’s not for me to bail him out of this."
No, but you do have some sort of obligation to be accurate.
I too was offended by some of what he said.
Where I draw the line is how we characterize the man based on what he said.
We have "insensitive". We have "ignorant".
I'm OK so far.
But when we go to the next level and assassinate his character, that's too far.
And it happens too often.
Bottom line: The standard for judging another man by his words is too low. Every now and then people mis-speak. If you want to say that it reveals their character, then be honest about it.
What did they say? What did they mean? How did they handle the backlash?
These things, and others, are every bit as important as their unfortunate choice of words.
Ok Mo, I actually have to say I feel this apology. He owned up for being immature, and for letting his mouth get him in a whole heap of trouble in the attempt to be cool. We agreed that he has a LOT of growing up to do. Maybe he’ll do that. But at least he seems to fully realize how badly he screwed himself. Maybe I’m just happy that he said he was done with interviews. LOL
He’s still an ass. But at least he manned up and admitted it. I have to respect that (a little).
And for the record, Walt. Nobody had to assassinate Mayer’s character. He’s been doing a helluva job of that all by himself for quite some time. I commend him for recognizing his character flaws and the need to change them – not for me, not for Mo Kelly, not for anyone else – but to make him be a real “grown up,” a man & not a boy. Admitting you are wrong, not making excuses for your behavior, and trying to draw attention from your gaffes by arguing minutia with others is a great first step.
Morris,
That is so tortured that I can't even call it "logic."
But I agree he made a lot of mistakes in word choice, no doubt about it.
Moi,
All I ask for is accuracy. Let's not say he said things he did not say, and let's not deliberately twist the meaning of the things he did say.
That's all.
And Moi,
How about "Mayer can be an ass", in other words, sometimes he's not an ass.
And then we could apply the above to me.
Maybe that's why I'm defending the guy. I've been there.
I would say that you and Mayer are asses. Oh wait, I actually did say that. LOL
Let’s not argue minutia. It really grates on my nerves. How about, I said he IS, because that is what I think of him. Just as you defended his right to free speech, this is the time for you to concede and let me enjoy the same right. His grandma or someone who cares can say he “can be.” I really don’t care that much. And honestly, neither should you. It’s kind of scary, in an exceptionally annoying kind of way.
Moi,
If you think he's all ass, then that's for you to reconcile.
Nobody is all ass.
But hey, thanks for an honest, rational discussion.
How is it an apology for him to apologize to his predominantly white audience? Why even post this Mo? Mayer doesn't get it. He should have written a letter to Essence at the very least.
I agree that Mayer should specifically apologize for invoking white supremacy.
It's crystal clear that he was trying to be flip and clever, but (a) he missed and (b) he went to a bad place, probably by accident, but he went there.
It would show growth on his part to specifically address that mistake.
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