5 ms·

Honestly, the biggest mistake people make is issuing public apologies. So far, we have very few examples of them actually working. On the contrary, any amount

Honestly, the biggest mistake people make is issuing public apologies. So far, we have very few examples of them actually working. On the contrary, any amount of admission seems to show weakness. The "controversy" around Lin-Manuel Miranda seems to have come nearly entirely from his apology to a very small group of disappointed fans. There are even more examples of very publicly terrible people who have skirted worse controversies simply by ignoring them! There is no reward for being self-aware or apologetic. But there are rewards for unyielding self-righteousness.

shadowgovt 5y ago
I have yet to see a well-defined playbook for mitigating the Twitter Eye Of Sauron turning on a person that has a better success record than chance. Different things have worked for different individuals (including issuing a public apology, see https://www.vulture.com/2020/12/influencer-apologies-2020-shane-dawson-jenna-marbles.html https://www.vulture.com/2020/12/influencer-apologies-2020-sh... for a collection of them and the result). It may be the case that cancellations are too circumstance-specific to say what works and what doesn't.
- abenga 5y ago
  It may be before the online mobs grew large enough, but Tim Hardaway dealt with his homophobic comments well enough to convince everyone that he had a change of heart, and was not just trying to manage the fallout (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/sports/wp/2017/02/16/ten-years-go-this-nba-star-said-he-hated-gay-people-now-he-advocates-for-them/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/sports/wp/2017/02/16/ten...).
paulpauper 5y ago
Doing or saying nothing only helps if you're innocent until proven guilty. An apology just helps to clarify the situation once the issue cannot be ignored. It will not make the mobs change their minds.
- koheripbal 5y ago
  Apologizing on social media does not diffuse anything. It attracts attention and those who missed the initial controversy typically try to use the apology to exact more "consequences". Public apologies should never be done. If you want to apologize, do it in private to the alleged victim - do not do it in public.
  - paulpauper 5y ago
    Clarify is not the same as diffuse. Of course an an apology does not diffuse
Mediterraneo10 5y ago
In the classical music world, there is a recent example of a composer getting canceled for a complete misinterpretation of an Instagram post. His publisher demanded he apologize, in fact, it provided a pre-written apology for him to just sign. He refused to do so, and his publisher dropped him entirely, which basically ended his career, at least for the time being. So, some people are compelled by employment reasons to apologize, and the apology does work in terms of keeping one’s job.
- koheripbal 5y ago
  His employer tried to coerce an apology from him, and then fired him when he refused? That sounds like a lawsuit in the making, even if he wasn't a formal employee.
  - Mediterraneo10 5y ago
    The relationship between a composer and his regular publisher is not one of employment. And publishers regularly refuse to work further with authors when said author does or says something that the publisher feels will make it look bad. Lawsuits don’t typically happened unless a contract has already been signed for the creator to provide a new work to the publisher, while if the two parties are currently between contracts, there are no grounds for a lawsuit.
Seattle3503 5y ago
> So far, we have very few examples of them actually working. That's not the purpose of an apology. An apology is something you do to help the victims move forward, not something you do to minimize consequences.
- stavros 5y ago
  The GP said "public apology", not "apology". You can apologize to the victims in private.
- chmod600 5y ago
  A private apology is different from a public apology. The former helps victims move on, the latter is for third parties to move on. In either case, a good apology should show some sincere character development on your part.
- koheripbal 5y ago
  No, that's why private apologies are for. Public apologies are just emotional porn for the Twitter masses. They serve no purpose, and are a desperate attempt to satiate the insatiable.
tptacek 5y ago
You put scare quotes around "controversy" because we all understand that there's no real controversy to it. Miranda remains as culturally powerful as he's ever been. Sometimes people apologize because they think it's the right thing to do, without expecting their apologies to manipulate detractors into withdrawing claims. And, as we can see from this post, sometimes people have the opposite expectation.
ceilingcorner 5y ago
When dealing with irrational mobs, don’t expect rational moves to work. The proper behavior is not much different than dealing with an angry bear. Showing weakness doesn’t work, ever. Sad but true.

shadowgovt 5y ago

I have yet to see a well-defined playbook for mitigating the Twitter Eye Of Sauron turning on a person that has a better success record than chance. Different things have worked for different individuals (including issuing a public apology, see https://www.vulture.com/2020/12/influencer-apologies-2020-shane-dawson-jenna-marbles.html https://www.vulture.com/2020/12/influencer-apologies-2020-sh... for a collection of them and the result). It may be the case that cancellations are too circumstance-specific to say what works and what doesn't.

abenga 5y ago
It may be before the online mobs grew large enough, but Tim Hardaway dealt with his homophobic comments well enough to convince everyone that he had a change of heart, and was not just trying to manage the fallout (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/sports/wp/2017/02/16/ten-years-go-this-nba-star-said-he-hated-gay-people-now-he-advocates-for-them/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/sports/wp/2017/02/16/ten...).

paulpauper 5y ago

Doing or saying nothing only helps if you're innocent until proven guilty. An apology just helps to clarify the situation once the issue cannot be ignored. It will not make the mobs change their minds.

koheripbal 5y ago
Apologizing on social media does not diffuse anything. It attracts attention and those who missed the initial controversy typically try to use the apology to exact more "consequences". Public apologies should never be done. If you want to apologize, do it in private to the alleged victim - do not do it in public.
- paulpauper 5y ago
  Clarify is not the same as diffuse. Of course an an apology does not diffuse

Mediterraneo10 5y ago

In the classical music world, there is a recent example of a composer getting canceled for a complete misinterpretation of an Instagram post. His publisher demanded he apologize, in fact, it provided a pre-written apology for him to just sign. He refused to do so, and his publisher dropped him entirely, which basically ended his career, at least for the time being. So, some people are compelled by employment reasons to apologize, and the apology does work in terms of keeping one’s job.

koheripbal 5y ago
His employer tried to coerce an apology from him, and then fired him when he refused? That sounds like a lawsuit in the making, even if he wasn't a formal employee.
- Mediterraneo10 5y ago
  The relationship between a composer and his regular publisher is not one of employment. And publishers regularly refuse to work further with authors when said author does or says something that the publisher feels will make it look bad. Lawsuits don’t typically happened unless a contract has already been signed for the creator to provide a new work to the publisher, while if the two parties are currently between contracts, there are no grounds for a lawsuit.

Seattle3503 5y ago

> So far, we have very few examples of them actually working. That's not the purpose of an apology. An apology is something you do to help the victims move forward, not something you do to minimize consequences.

stavros 5y ago
The GP said "public apology", not "apology". You can apologize to the victims in private.
chmod600 5y ago
A private apology is different from a public apology. The former helps victims move on, the latter is for third parties to move on. In either case, a good apology should show some sincere character development on your part.
koheripbal 5y ago
No, that's why private apologies are for. Public apologies are just emotional porn for the Twitter masses. They serve no purpose, and are a desperate attempt to satiate the insatiable.

tptacek 5y ago

You put scare quotes around "controversy" because we all understand that there's no real controversy to it. Miranda remains as culturally powerful as he's ever been. Sometimes people apologize because they think it's the right thing to do, without expecting their apologies to manipulate detractors into withdrawing claims. And, as we can see from this post, sometimes people have the opposite expectation.

ceilingcorner 5y ago

When dealing with irrational mobs, don’t expect rational moves to work. The proper behavior is not much different than dealing with an angry bear. Showing weakness doesn’t work, ever. Sad but true.