The idea of apology videos is one that has gained more and more prominence as time has passed. And because the internet is such an integral part of our lives, people will always see it as a tool because it has the reach. It can pass your message across way faster and cheaper than it would have been if you did it through traditional media.
And as long as people will be people, they will always make mistakes. There will always be bad decisions, there will always be dumb acts. We can’t help it. At one time or the other, you’re definitely going to piss an entire group of people off. It could be a fandom, it could be a whole tribe, or even an entire race… and then, you set up a camera and make a bloody video.
For me I can’t say for sure if such videos are genuine. After all, people make a lot of dumb things online, they can also make videos correcting them. It could be seen as an act of penance. But if you are really searching for total change on their part, if you’re after remorse, then you might not find it in the video. Because anything up there could most likely be acting.
Not all apology videos are by choice. There are those who do them because they know that they hurt someone and really want to make up for it. An apology to the world, admitting your role in all that, and telling how sorry you are could go a long way. But not everyone is up for this. Sometimes, celebrities have to be forced by their management teams to make such videos. Other times, it can be a requirement in the settling of a lawsuit.
No one has ever made an apology video for me, and most of the celebrity apology videos I’ve watched so far, I simply watch them because they’re just another reel I stumbled upon in the ocean of videos that are on social media. So, I never pay them any attention more than a second after I’ve scrolled past. So, I don’t even know the perks to look out for when watching an apology video to know if it’s genuine.
However, off the top of my head? I would say that if they start the video crying profusely, then they’re definitely faking. I’ve never seen the allure of people setting up their cameras, lights, and sounds, only for them to just cry and cry. Like, do you have the stone of tears hidden in your tear ducts? Crying excessively in an apology video would simply be you doing too much, and that would be an error for me. I won’t believe a word you say.
Social media is a wild place, and anything can happen at any time. I’m not downplaying the importance of apology videos, because they can be a good recourse when someone makes a mistake, especially when the mistake is one that affects a large number of people. But then, a simple video shouldn’t just be the end of it. People will believe you better when they see you making moves to pay for your sins.
There are things one can do to make reparations. Apology videos are okay, but they shouldn’t be the last bus stop. Just like how saying “sorry” shouldn’t be the end when we offend someone. If forgiveness comes as easily as saying sorry, then people would have no issues hurting us because they know that they can simply say sorry. In the same vein, people will do whatever they want, knowing that an apology video will make it right.
I don’t think any of us wants that kind of world.
