c/cancel-culture-court

I finally saw a real apology change someone's career last month

I watched this local musician from Austin named Cole get canceled hard in 2019 for some old racist tweets. He put out this video apology that felt super scripted at first, like his label wrote it. But then he spent 2 years actually volunteering with a youth music program in East Austin, no cameras around. Now he's back on small stages and people are actually buying his merch again, which makes me wonder how long do we hold onto old mistakes if someone really changes?

0 comments

hannah_wells•2h ago

That influencer apology for the blackface photo felt like a business memo

I was scrolling through old apology videos and landed on one from a beauty guru who posted in 2020. She straight up said 'I apologize for any harm caused' instead of actually naming what she did, which felt super fake to me. Do you think vague apologies like that ever actually work or do people just move on because they have to?

0 comments

linda_reed•19h ago

Appreciation post: That moment a YouTuber actually came back with a real apology

I've been following this one creator for years, and after they got called out for some old tweets, their first apology was just a bunch of PR jargon. Then last week they posted a 15 minute video breaking down exactly what they did wrong and how they plan to change, even naming the specific charity they're donating $2,000 to. Has anyone else seen a public figure actually turn their apology around like that?

2 comments

grant155•2d ago

Can we talk about the difference between a real apology and a PR statement?

I keep seeing people accept those corporate-style apologies with zero ownership, like when that actor from the '80s said 'I'm sorry if anyone was offended' last week, and everyone moved on, but if he can't even name what he did wrong, how is that a real apology at all?

2 comments

felixm29•3d ago

Vent: That viral "buy this course to get rich" guru still owes me $200

I fell for this finance guru on YouTube who promised a 6 figure side hustle if I bought his $200 course. I watched all 8 hours of videos and it was just generic advice like "work harder" and "network on LinkedIn." Turns out he built his whole platform on fake screenshots of his bank account showing $50k months. When I asked for a refund, his support ghosted me for 3 weeks. Now I'm out $200 and feel like a total fool. Has anyone else gotten scammed by one of these "hustle" courses?

2 comments

davis.olivia•6d ago

TIL I got called out for 12 year old tweets and it actually changed my mind

I thought the whole cancel culture thing was overblown until I saw a comedian I liked lose a tour over jokes from 2012. I went and read them and they were genuinely awful, like racist stuff, not just edgy humor. Has anyone else seen a cancellation that actually made them rethink a person's character?

3 comments

evan543•6d ago

Question about that Louis CK apology from a few years back

Ngl I used to think his apology was fake because he waited so long. But my buddy Mike brought up a good point last week, he said 'if you apologize right away people say you're just trying to save your career, but if you wait they say it's too late.' That kinda hit different for me honestly. Still not sure if he should be forgiven or not, but it made me wonder if we're ever actually looking for a real apology or just punishing people for timing. Has anyone else changed their mind about a celeb apology after talking to someone?

2 comments

emma96•7d ago

I always thought celebrity apologies were fake until I watched one that actually listed specific actions

Last Tuesday I watched a singer's 8 minute apology video where she named the three people she hurt and exactly when it happened back in 2019. She even said she paid for their therapy costs out of pocket. It made me wonder if we are too quick to call all apologies fake just because some of them are. Has anyone else seen an apology that actually changed your mind about forgiving someone?

2 comments

robinp89•8d ago

Saw a famous chef's apology video at a diner in Austin

Went to this hole-in-the-wall diner called The Yellow Rose last week. The TV was playing some chef's apology for yelling at his staff on a live stream. Do we buy these quick video apologies or should people wait a bit before forgiving them?

2 comments

stella_scott96•9d ago

I used to think celebrity apologies were all fake until one actually addressed the harm directly

I was so sure James Gunn's old tweets apology was just damage control back in 2018. But then I saw him in an interview where he didn't just say sorry, he listed the exact jokes he regretted and explained why they hurt people. That specific level of detail made me realize he actually understood what he did wrong. Has anyone else been won over by a public figure who gave a real, detailed apology instead of the usual vague PR statement?

2 comments

sean_barnes24•10d ago

That third apology after the screenshots leak always sounds the fakest

Noticed with three different YouTubers this year they all gave a sorry-not-sorry statement first, then a lawyer statement second, and only cried on camera when the brand deals pulled out - has anyone else seen this exact pattern play out?

3 comments

fionafoster•11d ago

Took me 6 hours to fix a dryer that just needed the lint trap cleaned properly

My dryer was taking 3 cycles to dry a load of jeans. I watched like 12 YouTube videos. Replaced the heating element. Cleaned the vent. Nope. Turns out the lint trap itself was slightly warped and letting air sneak past. Had to order a new one for $14. Has anyone else spent way too long on something that was actually a super simple fix?

2 comments

nelson.wren•11d ago

Took me 3 months to forgive that influencer for the fake charity thing

Honestly I was one of those people who was totally ready to cancel this travel blogger forever after she got caught pocketing money from a GoFundMe she set up for a local animal shelter in Austin. She posted this long apology video crying and all and I just rolled my eyes. But then about a month later she posted a full breakdown with receipts showing she actually donated double the amount to three different shelters and even started a volunteer program. My girlfriend who works at one of those shelters said she's been showing up every Saturday morning at 7am for months now and never posts about it on social media. Ngl that changed my mind completely because the apology was nice but the consistent action over time is what actually convinced me. Has anyone else had that moment where you just had to admit the person really did turn it around?

2 comments

blair_chen81•12d ago

James Charles apologized again and I'm not sure if I believe him this time

James did that whole apology video last week about the Twitter stuff from 2021. He said he was young and dumb and has grown up now. But he said basically the same thing in 2020 after the Tati drama and then went right back to the same behavior. Has anyone else seen a public figure give the same apology twice and actually mean it the second time? I'm leaning toward not forgiving him until I see real change over a year or two, not just a video.

3 comments

thomasgonzalez•14d ago

Something about these celebrity apology videos is off and I can't be the only one seeing it

I've been watching a bunch of those 10 minute apology videos from influencers who got caught doing shady stuff. Just saw one this morning from that fitness guy who lied about his meal plans. But here's what bugs me - nobody talks about how they keep using the exact same phrases word for word. Like "I need to take accountability" and "I'm going to seek therapy" show up in almost every single one now. My sister works in PR and she told me these are literally template lines from crisis management firms. There's a whole document they share. So how can we judge if an apology is real when they're all reading from the same script? Has anyone else noticed this pattern or am I reading into it too much

3 comments

phoenixk64•15d ago

My roommate called me out for forgiving a influencer too fast last week

She said I was just projecting because the apology video made me cry. Now I'm sitting here wondering if I actually bought into the tears or if the content was just that good. Anybody else ever have someone call you out like that?

3 comments

charles_coleman•15d ago

Hit 500 genuine followers on my art account today

Found 12 of them were from a cancel culture mob I helped talk down last year and it felt way better than the bot follows ever did, has anyone else had haters turn into actual supporters?

3 comments

fiona_carr26•15d ago

Blowing up a friendship over a public apology I didnt buy

I had this friend who used to post all this really mean stuff online about a local business owner, like calling them a scammer and a liar for about 6 months straight. Then last month they put up this long apology video, saying they were just 'passionate' and sorry for the hurt. I called them out on it because I thought it was fake and just to save face, and now they won't talk to me. Has anyone else had a real life friendship fall apart because you didn't accept someone's public apology?

3 comments

josephbailey•16d ago

That time Kevin Hart's apology actually made sense to me after I watched his full standup set

I used to write off celeb apologies as just damage control. Last month I sat down and watched Kevin Hart's whole special where he talked about the homophobic jokes from 2009, and I gotta say it hit different. He didn't just say sorry, he broke down why those jokes were lazy and hurtful and how he had to unlearn that stuff. Has anyone else found that actually going back to the source material changed their take on a public figure's apology?

2 comments

fiona_carr26•18d ago

Debate: Did Logan Paul's boxing apology actually mean anything or was it just PR?

I watched that whole Logan Paul apology video from back in 2018 again last night, the one about the suicide forest stuff. At first I thought he was just trying to save his career, you know, standard influencer damage control. But then I noticed he actually took a break from posting for a few months and donated money to suicide prevention groups. My friend says that doesn't matter because he only did it after getting caught, and he still makes jokes about serious stuff today. I'm stuck on this one because on one hand he clearly messed up big time, but on the other hand people can change over 6 years right? What do you all think, is his apology worth forgiving or is he still just faking it for the money?

3 comments

williamw75•19d ago

Hot take: That influencer apology last week felt scripted as ever

I saw this food blogger post a 3 minute video crying about some old tweets that came back to bite her. She spent $5,000 on a PR team to clean it up but her voice sounded like she was reading off a teleprompter the whole time. Does anyone actually buy these apologies anymore or is it just a way to wait out the storm?

3 comments

nina_taylor•20d ago

That Kevin Hart apology from 2018 felt fake to me then but now I wonder if we were too harsh

I used to think any apology with PR wording was automatically a lie, but after seeing how my own kid handled a mistake last month I'm starting to question if we demand too much from public figures who can never say the perfect thing.

3 comments

dylan463•21d ago

Finally got why a celeb apology felt off to me

Used to just read apology posts and take them at face value, like that one from a YouTuber last month. Now I look for specifics like did they name the exact action or just say 'I'm sorry if anyone was hurt'. How do you tell if a public figure's apology is actually real?

3 comments

-1

murray.robert•22d ago

That apology from the YouTuber who faked a charity stream felt way too scripted

I watched the whole 12 minute video he posted last night. He kept using the same phrases over and over like "I take full responsibility" but never actually said what he did wrong with the money. My buddy counted 4 times he said he was "learning and growing." Does that sound real to anyone else or just me?

3 comments

brookeellis•25d ago

Just realized that Logan Paul's apology video got me thinking about my own

I remember back in 2018 when the whole Logan Paul forest thing happened, I was one of those people saying he should never come back. But a few months ago, I caught his apology video again on a late night YouTube scroll... and it hit me different this time. He actually sat down and listed specific things he did wrong, not just vague sorrys. Have any of you rewatched an old apology from a celebrity and changed your mind about them years later?

3 comments