99 - Sorry/Not Sorry: Apology Videos and the Toxic Gossip Train
Added 2023-08-09 06:00:03 +0000 UTChi. There have been a lot of allegations going around and the lads would like to take this opportunity to set the record straight: this is an episode about apology videos. I know you’ve heard the ugly accusations that, in this episode, they talk about the origins of the American apology video, Shane Dawson’s seeming addiction to making them, and the impossibility of true repentance when you’ve turned your life into a brand. Well, let me assure you, it’s all true. Suck it h8ers.
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Media Referenced in this Episode:
- The Youtube Playlist of All Apology Videos Referenced
- Richard Nixon - "Checkers" Speech
- Jackie Gleason “You’re in the Picture” Apology Episode Part One
- Jackie Gleason “You’re in the Picture” Apology Episode Part Two
- Bill Clinton Admits to Having Inappropriate Relationship with Monica Lewinsky
- Shane Dawson: “My Apology (Blackface & Offensive Videos)”
- Logan Paul: “So Sorry.”
- Kevin Spacey: “Let Me Be Frank”
- Colleen Ballinger: “addressing everything”
- Jenna Marbles: “Jenna Marbles Apology”
- Shane Dawson: “Taking Accountability”
- Try Guys: “what happened.”
- Colleen Ballinger: “hi.”
- “Image repair discourse and crisis communication” by William L. Benoit
- “The Youtube Apology” by Gabriella Karlsson
TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com
Commercial: “An Apology Song” by Richard Milhous Nixon
Comments
just finished this episode and i think im more interested in the metaverse now than i was at the time just cuz i think with regards to AI it feels like the core idea of the internet generally for connecting people was just kinda given up on in silicon valley after the failure of the metaverse.
Lain of the Wired
2024-06-17 20:37:46 +0000 UTCIt's two months even later and Walloon communities can be found in all of the countries along the North West section of the European mainland coast and also Luxembourg.
Andrew T. Wilson
2024-01-11 05:11:25 +0000 UTCIt’s been over three months but it’s important that you know this…the Waloons are French.
Amy Godliman
2023-11-23 01:12:23 +0000 UTCI think the Portuguese Ship line refers to the Santa Maria hijacking https://oceanlinersmagazine.com/2021/01/22/1961-portuguese-liner-hijacked/
Nick Gully
2023-08-16 14:35:54 +0000 UTCit's good to know the problem resolves itself after about 30 hours of listening
The Worst of all Possible Worlds
2023-08-15 21:43:37 +0000 UTChopefully you can tell us apart now
The Worst of all Possible Worlds
2023-08-15 02:39:36 +0000 UTCI can’t believe the name gag got me to sub on patreon
Jesse Y
2023-08-15 01:26:18 +0000 UTCSide note: part of why I struggled with working out each person was mostly because to me, Josh sounded like he would be called AJ, Brian sounded like he would be called Josh, and AJ sounded like he would be called something else entirely, but I never worked out what that name would be…
The Token Detergent Rinser (British)
2023-08-13 17:44:16 +0000 UTCNgl, I’ve been able to discern who was whom on this pod since listening to about 12-15 episodes, but funnily enough there were more than a couple instances of this episode where I heard AJ talking and initially thought it was Brian…
The Token Detergent Rinser (British)
2023-08-13 17:41:35 +0000 UTCI remember the Kevin Spacey one creeped me out when I saw it when it came out, but it’s even creepier than I remember. And hey, I liked house of cards! Now it’s just unfortunate because it only makes me think of him being a creep but I thought it was a good show.
Elizabeth Power
2023-08-12 20:15:23 +0000 UTCSan Diego, Michigan, and New Mexico are all equally silly places to be from. Who cares who came from were
Jimmy McMillan
2023-08-12 16:15:21 +0000 UTC“Serving a moderate amount of cunt” might be my new favorite phrase
Kayla Simon
2023-08-11 11:59:23 +0000 UTCTWOAPW slanders Try Guys: I sleep 💤😴🥱 TWOAPW slanders Dave Malloy: (laser eyes)
nate
2023-08-11 11:33:04 +0000 UTCThere aren't enough apologies out there where people blame The LORD
The Worst of all Possible Worlds
2023-08-10 23:03:37 +0000 UTCI'm thrilled not to know who any of these youtubers are.
murt pie
2023-08-10 22:59:56 +0000 UTCI believe that social media has decreased peoples ability to deal with opposing views, just how life in relative comfort or rather, being shielded from discomfort is basically eroding our resiliance, making us ill equipped to face the hardship that the world has in store for all of us. So I have to disagree with J. Marbles that nobody should ever be offended. I believe in causing as little harm to my fellow life forms as the next guy, but discomfort, getting upset and even taking offense are a necessary part of life that we all have to learn to deal with. They can even be great teachers and sources of inspiration. It would be a sad state of affairs, if art, f.ex. was no longer allowed to make people feel even a bit unconfortable. Secondly, not everyone claiming to be offended by something have to be taken seriously. Maybe they're just being overly dramatic or maybe they deserve being made to feel unconfortable. Like we should make fascists feel uncomfortable as mich as possible, right? And even if we take people's feelings very seriously, there HAS to be a point where we draw a line and say, the effort put in avoiding discomfort to anyone ever is no longer proportionate to the actual harm done. Bending over backwards to avoid anyone ever feeling a tinge of discomfort is not only an impossible standard to set for yourself, to me personally, it's also seems a bit patronizing. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't like to be thought of as a frail little baby, who will break under the slightest bit of pressure. I'd rather feel a bit upset at something you say, rather than being basically lied to, in order to protect my feelings.
Wilko
2023-08-10 21:48:09 +0000 UTCCan someone do a Cartman AI cover of 'Toxic Gossip Train'?
Langolier
2023-08-10 19:19:29 +0000 UTCY'all are unlocking so many memories of what was funny to watch in college. I haven't thought about Miranda Sings or Jenna Marbles for like over 10 years 😬😅 (also pls pls forgive me for my choices I was absolutely media illiterate and went to a small conservative Christian school). Did I apologize right? My choices definitely weren't my fault at all
Rosey Armstrong
2023-08-10 18:22:06 +0000 UTCWhen I saw the episode title, I feared what was obviously going to be the theme of the interstitial bit. Then in the lead-in when A.J. unveiled the specific spin he was going to do, that upgraded to sheer dread. But then it was exactly long enough to be funny without overstaying its' welcome, and I made an audible sigh of relief
Elaine Åhlfeldt
2023-08-10 05:21:04 +0000 UTCThe second half of this ep especially had me thinking to the sort of purposefully anti-apology videos from Contrapoints and Lindsay Ellis from that 20/21 period - definitely both videos address a different kind of shaming by a different scale of audience than the material y'all covered, but I find it very interesting to consider both videos in light of your perspectives. Both Contra and Ellis had both previously themselves made content dissecting internet celebrity and parasociality and youtube apologies, which adds an even further layer of reflexivity; and both specifically pick at some of the assumptions underlying the apology video, particularly unpacking the language of "harm" or "offense" that the videos we heard in the ep hinge on but never really look too hard at. Ellis in particular kind of squirms against and partially denies both the parasocial friendship amends and the image repair - I remember at the time being so struck by the solipsistic nature of that one video's production compared to her usual output. As Brian says "convincing someone you're sincere isn't about being sincere," which is both the strength and the achilles heel of both the videos - whatever may be said of the circumstances of Contra and Ellis, I find both videos effective in their way but in the moment both seemed to make their situations worse.
Elah
2023-08-10 01:26:06 +0000 UTCThere are only two things I can't stand in this world: people intolerant of other people's culture and the Dutch. Fuck you too, other Josh
Joshua G
2023-08-10 00:13:21 +0000 UTCI never realized it mattered who is who on this pod. If you're worried about keeping track of which one's Catholic, which one has an illness or disability that they mention but don't go into specifics, or which one works at an escape room, just stop it. It doesn't matter. I think it's AJ for all three
Jimmy McMillan
2023-08-09 22:05:20 +0000 UTCI didnt know until this episode that it was 3 different people
Brandon Chinn
2023-08-09 21:26:14 +0000 UTCThe emotional yin to that gif’s yang, in a way
Bryan Moore
2023-08-09 20:28:05 +0000 UTCi know what youre talking about but for some reason i can only mentally visualize walter white falling over
BrianAlflordIsGoodActually
2023-08-09 19:37:50 +0000 UTCI resubscribed for this Ep.... Id, love if you guys made more pods about internet culture.
Lastmanonearth01
2023-08-09 18:48:02 +0000 UTCI saw the runtime and the episode subject and did the Vince McMahon falling over meme
Bryan Moore
2023-08-09 17:52:29 +0000 UTCI'm glad that you: Brian, Josh, and A.J. of the Worst Of All Possible Worlds Podcast, could make quality content for people like me: TalkGibberish.
TalkGibberish
2023-08-09 16:51:09 +0000 UTCthe kevin spacey audio sounds ALARMINGLY like a video you'd find on a range of other websites with the tag "pov"
Elah
2023-08-09 16:45:16 +0000 UTCWhen we hit the chorus of "Toxic Gossip Train" my jaw hit my fucking desk.
BarFly
2023-08-09 14:11:42 +0000 UTCAllegedly a very good episode
Brandon Lilya
2023-08-09 13:28:40 +0000 UTCGreat episode. Very funny and insightful.
misterr
2023-08-09 12:33:56 +0000 UTCThe metaphor of "the toxic gossip train" just doesn't track. Also AJ I need more Nixon ukulele songs.
Hazymarmot
2023-08-09 10:32:50 +0000 UTCBut legitimately as someone who at first thought you sounded similar (except Josh) and now knows your voices as well as a dog knows its owner's that opening gave me life. Bless you boys.
im so daddy i havent slept in a year
2023-08-09 07:25:00 +0000 UTCThe rare non-ladscast denouncements devolve into a single man saying 3 different names claiming to be 3 podcasters. Sad really 😞
im so daddy i havent slept in a year
2023-08-09 07:22:58 +0000 UTCi just can't believe you guys would do what you did in the first place. you really thought you could get away with all sounding the exact same, thus requiring people to go on the worst of all possible worlds youtube channel and watch three high-quality, highly informative and greatly enjoyable video essays to be able to tell you apart? for shame. for shame!!
BrianAlflordIsGoodActually
2023-08-09 06:47:58 +0000 UTC
