Customer Reviews

My Bad: 25 Years of Public Apologies and the Appalling Behavior That Inspired Them

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This book is brilliant on a number of levels. First, the sheer volume of apologies collected. Second, the vast range of apologies and apologizers. Third, the entertainment value of the collection. But perhaps what's most brilliant is the concept itself -- which is informed by the profound observation that we live in an age when shame has ceased to exist. In another time and place, people would fall on their swords, or slink into a Fatty Arbuckle-style oblivion, or beg for forgiveness when their crimes and misdemeanors were exposed to the public. Today, as Slansky and Sorkin make abundantly clear, when public figures are revealed to be spouse-beating, lying, embezzling, racist, resume-fictionalizing, data-faking, plagiarizing, former Ku Klux Klannish scoundrels, they issue an apology that is itself full of laughably blatant lies, then go about their business.

It would be depressing if it weren't so funny.

MY BAD was worth reading just for its description of Ashlee Simpson's notorious appearance on Saturday Night Live: "the vocal track from the song she'd already sung started playing, thus exposing her as a lip-syncing fraud reduced to galumphing a little jig as she prematurely left the stage."

(Naturally, a Simpson apology followed, and a lame one at that.)

While it was fun to revisit some of the misstatements and retractions of yesteryear, MY BAD also afforded this reader a learning experience, namely: I had no idea Ted Turner was such a chowderhead. He has had to publicly apologize many more times than I realized. Others luminaries herein include Ronald Reagan (a thoughtless ninny, surprise!) and most members of his first cabinet.

As an Oregonian, I was sorry to give the Hall of Shame Award to Senator Bob Packwood (Republican, in office 1969-1996) for filling over two pages in this book with his equivocating mea culpas.

When I first picked up My Bad, I thought I would just skim through it and read a few of the apologies that caught my eye. I read a few. Then a few more. Then I turned back to the beginning and read My Bad cover to cover. Even at that, I was sad to see the book end. I wanted to read more.

Why were these apologies so captivating? I'm not sure. Maybe it was because I lived through these times, and recognized many of the stories Slansky and Sorkin chose for the book. More likely, it's because I somehow like reading about other people getting caught out in big mistakes and humbled. And seeing how they take it.

Senator John McCain's apology was one I thought was well said. He had made a rude and hurtful joke about Chelsea Clinton being ugly because she was the child of Janet Reno and Hillary Clinton. He said it at a Republican event, where other jokes of that type were said. And members of both political parties can get awfully down and dirty at those events. But there was no excuse for his remarks. And he said that -- "I have no excuse."

Russell Crowe's apology for throwing a hotel phone in a concierge's face also caught my eye. He sounded ashamed, as well he should be. But he took the blame squarely, without offering an excuse of any kind.

Jane Fonda also came across well, I thought. She admitted that her trip to North Vietnam was wrong, and did not mince words about it. I'm no fan of Jane Fonda. So I was not expecting to see an apology like that. To me her frank words were a bit of a surprise, a refreshing one. (The authors noted, however, that at least some Vietnam vets did not find her apology refreshing or even acceptable, demanding that she be tried for treason.)

No question that there was a hint of the politically correct in the authors' comments on the apologies. Oh all right, more than a hint. No question what the authors' politics are -- they are liberals who dislike Bush and love Clinton. And in some cases, although not many, they let that show through.

But when you compare their comments to the Al Frankens and the Ann Coulters of the world, Slansky and Sorkin seem refreshingly objective. I thought they were too hard on Trent Lott, and too fawning on Bill Clinton. If they had held a little more closely to the objective tone that they carried well throughout most of the book, My Bad would have been better.

But it is still pretty good. I liked My Bad.

This book contains a collection of quoted apologies by public figures followed by an explanation of what prompted the apology. Sometimes the funny part is the apology itself, but more often the gaffe is more amusing. It contains hundreds of such apologies; I usually read a dozen or so for a quick laugh, but the effect wears off quickly, so I would put it down for a few days and then read some more.

One caveat: Liberals will enjoy this more than conservatives because the authors make their political leanings quite clear in their explanations of the gaffe that prompted the apologies. The authors offer sympathetic explanations for Democratic politicians' mistakes but add snide comments to any statements made by a Republican, and gratuitous shots at Bush pervade the book; it is not remotely subtle.

While at the library the other day, I wandered by the front desk where they display recommended titles. This one caught my eye... My Bad: 25 Years of Public Apologies and the Appalling Behavior that Inspired Them by Paul Slansky and Arleen Sorkin. If you're as fed up with public "apologies" as I am, you'll love reading this... or be even more disgusted. :)

Contents: Introduction; Media Mea Culpas; Taking Care of Business; I Fought the Law; You Can't Say That on the Radio; Readin', Writin' & Regrets; The Boob Tube; Judges and Lawyers and Cops, Oh My!; Slinking Off the Silver Screen; In the Penalty Box; The Disarmed Forces; Facing the Music; Forgive Me, Lord; Politically Incorrect; Future Imperfect; Index

This book could be five times the size and still not run out of material. The authors have a number of apology quotes followed by an explanation of what prompted them. They cover the spectrum of business blunders to sports slip-ups to political improprieties. Many of the explanations are offered without much commentary, but you do catch some of the authors' feelings along the way. There are also some humorous running threads where a particular person (like Ted Turner) makes repeated appearances, proving that many people do *not* learn from their mistakes. To be fair to the offenders, some of the apologies are sincere and are the best that can be offered under the circumstances. But people have become so glib with their "I'm sorry if anyone was offended" statements, that it's hard for a real apology not to be viewed with the same jaded cynicism as all the others.

I think what got me was how some people could think that anyone would believe their explanations or rationale for saying what they did. I recently read someone writing about mistakes and apologies, and they were correct... "When you're wrong, just take the bullet. Trying to rationalize it will only make it worse."

This was an enjoyable and instructional read. It helps you remember that anything you say or do will definitely be held against you in the court of public opinion, so engage the brain before the mouth gets started...

An excerpt from a previous review:
"This could have been a 5-star book. But, the authors chose to indulge themselves in a bit of editorializing about certain people. It becomes quite clear where the authors' political sympathies reside. There's nothing wrong with that - it's just that this book is not the appropriate place for it."

A book is not an appropriate place for an author to have an opinion? Wow...just...wow. That's the whole idea of literature, isn't it?

I really enjoyed this. I bought it because it's co-written by Ms. Sorkin, who I just knew as a great voice actress but it turns out she can write, too!

This book was a major disappointment. Maybe I'm just too jaded, but I didn't find it particularly humorous or outrageous. Just more of the same.

I thought this book would be funny. It is not. It is, however, very politically correct.

This could have been a 5-star book. But, the authors chose to indulge themselves in a bit of editorializing about certain people. It becomes quite clear where the authors' political sympathies reside. There's nothing wrong with that - it's just that this book is not the appropriate place for it.

The authors of this piece never miss an opportunity, no matter how slim, to slam Bush. Seriously distracting.