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Back in 2010, we'd just watch the apology and guess if it was real
Now I always check if they say 'I'm sorry you were offended' instead of 'I'm sorry I did that'. That one phrase is a dead giveaway it's fake. Caught a big star using it in a video from last month, and it totally changed how I look at these things. Anyone else have a specific line that makes you instantly doubt the whole apology?
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ramirez.vera5mo ago
Actually, that phrase is "mistakes were made," not "mistakes were made.
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the_alice5mo ago
Read an article once that called those "non-apology apologies" and it stuck with me. They pointed out how often people say "mistakes were made" because it removes them from doing anything wrong. It feels so passive, like the bad thing just happened on its own. Spotting that phrase now makes me tune out the whole statement.
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ward.anna4mo ago
Oh absolutely, that "I'm sorry you were offended" line gets me every time too. @leom74 I think you'd notice this pattern if you pay attention to sports stars, they always try to shift the blame like that. There was a politician here locally last year who did a whole video saying "if anyone felt hurt by my comments" and I just laughed out loud. You can tell they rehearsed it with a PR team who told them exactly which words to use to dodge responsibility.
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