John Mayer Apologizes for Using the "N-Word"
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
, Posted by JD at 1:52 PM
Rocker John Mayer used his twitter page to apologize for gratuitous use of the word "nigger" today. Word of John Mayer's interview with Playboy magazine surfaced this morning, and immediately created a firestorm of both criticism of his words and outright dismissal of such criticism across the web. In the interview, he managed to break almost every rule in the book of public relations as well as the book of generally being a good person.
The excerpt for which is apologized is the point in the interview at which he brought up the possibility of him having a "hood pass":
MAYER: Someone asked me the other day, “What does it feel like now to have a hood pass?” And by the way, it’s sort of a contradiction in terms, because if you really had a hood pass, you could call it a nigger pass. Why are you pulling a punch and calling it a hood pass if you really have a hood pass? But I said, “I can’t really have a hood pass. I’ve never walked into a restaurant, asked for a table and been told, ‘We’re full.’"
[2 hours before posting this blog, I dropped my white pass in the snow and am still on a desperate search to find it. If you have any information regarding my white pass, please post it in the comments section.]Not sure who asked him this question...or if it was every really asked (many people like to use the strawman technique when they wish to tackle a certain topic without being asked--see what I did there?); but for some reason, Mayer seemed to believe he was accomplishing 'something' with his out-of-blue statements. So far, the only thing he's managed to accomplish is to make people, like me, wonder what he was thinking.
The Playboy interview was riddled with boastful tales about his sexual conquests and a very weird moment where he refers to the actress Kerry Washington as 'white girl crazy.' He rounded out his quest to offend every group on the planet by referring to his penis as a white supremacist.
Let me make it clear...I'm not offended by Mayer's statements. I'm not angry. I'm not riled up. (As a woman, especially as a black woman, you always have to preface your displeasure with such statements.)
What I am is intrigued by Mayer's thought process and misguided humor. Mayer's statement on having a "hood pass" shows that he understands that there is NO SUCH THING as a "hood pass." Yet he completes that same thought using a word that, in the same paragraph, he acknowledges that he's not allowed to use under any circumstances.
Here's a man who's known for his brilliant mastery of words. I don't see Mayer as someone who is ignorant or careless with his statements. That makes me wonder even more whether he believed there'd be no feedback to his words--notice I didn't say backlash.
In other words, I don't view his statements as off the cuff ramblings of some thoughtless celebrity. And I wonder why he felt it necessary to go out of his way to 1. use the word nigger 2. to paint an explicit picture of his lack of attraction to black women and 3. to be insulting toward a black female fellow entertainer who had NOTHING to do with this interview beyond Mayer's decision to mention her name (and sexual habits?).
Combine that with his less-than-gentleman-like comments about his previous "loves" and I wonder if he cares about his image at all? It's one thing to give off a little assyness in an interview, it's something totally different to be repeatedly offensive and to randomly overshare in an insulting manner.
He refers to his arrogance in his twitter apology, and he says that perhaps its time to stop being so 'raw' in interviews...I disagree. It's probably time for him to start re-evaluating his beliefs and intentions. The rawness of his words is what I can respect...but using his language mastery and forum to hurt people is more concerning.
There's so much to take from the interview, and folks have decided to take what appears to be the most obvious (the n-word), and highlight that, as opposed to other issues, which you brilliantly highlighted here. What I take from it is someone who's got a variety of issues, but that's no different from quite a few people I'm around on a regular basis (whether it's person-to-person life, Twitter, FB, etc). I won't excuse him entirely, but I'm not gonna condemn him entirely either.
I agree. I don't think he's some terrible racist person..and I hate that the only thing he will take away from this experience is that black people are mad because he said that word.
I haven't heard of this until I came across this post. I immediately gave this the side-eye thinking 'I wonder what made him use that.' Perhaps I had more respect for him because of his mastery of words and be a bit more conscious. I guess not, but that just goes to show you don't know people. For me it confirms that he is a DB (douchebag) as it has been rumored.
Sorry, no sympathy from me.
All I know is my blood pressure started to get HIGH after he called out my girl Kerry.
I'm.Having.None.Of.That!
And we have to remember, John is southern. I remember him as a local performer in Atlanta. He knew what the hell he was saying.