Sorry Not Sorry: Why are celebrity apology videos becoming more abundant, yet lazier?

“Hi guys…I really missed you.”

 Since when did this become the opener for a celebrity’s video apologizing for saying a racial slur?

Influencers should always be held accountable for their insensitive online mistakes — especially when they harm a certain community. Since when did it become the norm to make a single minute-long video addressing and half-heartedly apologizing for your “mistakes?” How are these scripted apologies supposed to help influencers gain their follower’s trust?

Isa Escu, a TikToker known for her pretty face that quickly gained over two million followers in weeks, was caught comfortably saying the “N” word in a video recorded on Snapchat. White influencers seemingly can’t get enough of saying offensive words — I’m tired of scrolling through TikTok every week only to find a creator apologizing for saying a racial slur. Celebrities don’t even need to making videos, say you’re sorry in a way that cultivates that you actually care.

Escu opens her video by saying that she’s desperately missed her fans and is “trying to learn from this.” What she really needed to learn is how to remove words steeped in deep-rooted racism from her vocabulary or at the very least, try to put some effort into the apology. This might be beyond your PR team’s budget, but what about donating to charities or the community you offended with the money you’ve built from presenting yourself as a good person?

Noah Schnapp, a star of the popular television series “Stranger Things,” posted himself making and giving out stickers that read “Zionism is S*xy.” No one should be printing out insensitive stickers when children’s lives are being taken. Then, when Schnapp’s income starts to dip because of this…ugh…now you have to film a weak apology video.

It’s one thing to do something stupid, but it’s another thing entirely to have the video be so bad there are minute-long compilations of you breathing heavily on the internet. It’s literally just Schnapp sitting in front of the camera breathing at this point. Are viewers really supposed to believe the video was anything other than a pathetic attempt at avoiding being canceled?

And let’s not forget our ticket to the “Toxic Gossip Train.”

The famous actress and comedian Colleen Ballinger had many minors speak out about her proven grooming. It’s one thing to deny allegations, but strumming a ukulele with all smiles? Do better.

Apologies shouldn’t be a predictable blanket statement.  Celebrities need to own up to their actions and show that they learned from their mistakes.. Or maybe do your job as someone in the public eye and stop doing inappropriate things. 

Show fans that you care. Don’t stand in front of a camera crying, all too ready to make the same mistakes again.