The media overload can be too much, even for celebrities. Singer and musician John Mayer apologized in a very public and long-winded manner during a performance, offering a tearful regret for things he said in a recent Playboy interview. The whole thing has been recorded and posted on YouTube for the world to see, which is maybe what Mayer wanted. But the artist also said that he would like to take a break from media, suggesting that the constant watch of the public eye can make the maturation process difficult.
Making rather insensitive remarks about former girlfriends Jessica Simpson and Jennifer Anniston, John Mayer’s Playboy magazine interview brought a candid perspective we don’t always get to see from the music artist. Along with statements regarding race and homosexuality, John Mayer seems to have 20/20 vision in hind sight now that the Playboy article has been published. Requesting forgiveness from those that are close to him as well as to his fans, John Mayer put on quite a show last night.
Mayer even took to Twitter with his apologies, showing even his regret for his long-winded apology on stage the night prior. Now we’re apologizing for apologizing? Maybe just do better the first time around. It’s understandable why Mayer would want a break from the watchful eyes of the media. Our ability to receive real time updates means that our emotional roller coaster has little time to react or recover from something that happened just moments ago.
The quickness with which news can be spread means that we’re all subject to a new type of accountability, leaving even celebrities to the whim of public opinion and facing even more of their own activity that’s been shared with the world. Even a regular mortal can feel the pressure of social media accountability, as it has the ability to remind you of what you said and how you felt at a given point in history. That’s something that’s terribly difficult to change, and it can give rise to a lot more Mayer-like apologies.
Thankfully, these apologies, too, can be spread across the social web. Now everyone can know how much you regret saying what you said a couple of weeks back.
One thing Mayer said did catch my attention though, as he praised his band for being on stage with him “not because they condone what I say in any interview . . . they’re on this stage because they support myself as a possible future grown-up.”
It seems like a sweet thing to say, but it’s also a plight many of us deal with as adults living in a new, socially aroused era. Your growth as an individual is being archived in a new and sometimes public manner, giving way to all sorts of social repercussions that do in fact make us realize a lot more about ourselves. Whether or not this is a good thing remains to be seen.
When it’s all said and done, it’s good that Mayer took the time to express his apologies. The return to a more private lifestyle is still a looming possibility in a cultural reaction to the open and public way in which we’re increasingly sharing information. As we can see from Mayer, personal PR will be a new skill set we’ll all have to master.
John Mayer’s longtime publicist is New York City based Ken Sunshine.