#pepsifail, Conditional Apologies & Chick3nsh!t

We’ve talked about conditional apologies before. Y’know, that stuff you say when you’ve made somebody really angry even though you said (or did) what you meant in the first place.

Politicians do it all the time. “I’m deeply sorry if my comments, out of context, offended the good and hard-working Tralfalmadorians among us, but …”

So, are you sorry that you said it or that you got called out on it?

Choose.

My favorite, still, is the ubiquitous, “I’m sorry if this sounds racist, but …” or the equally as common, “Excuse me if this seems sexist, but …”

See?! I said it wasn’t supposed to be offensive so I am immunized from all anger. It’s as if the preamble said something like, “I am hereby immunized to attacks on my own sexism, but …”

And so we come to the whole AMP/#pepsifail hysteria on the Twitter machine.

Personally, don’t care. But this is not about me.

As a social media approach, our friend Kevin Dugan covered that here. Oh, and here.

But as a PR question?

Here’s AMP’s response, also repeated on Twitter feeds representing some of its sister brands:

"Our app tried 2 show the humorous lengths guys go 2 pick up women. We apologize if it’s in bad taste & appreciate your feedback. #pepsifail"

Well … that’s clear. Or at least succinct.

Is it or isn’t it? (in bad taste, I mean).

‘Cause what we do know is … it’s chick3nsh!t.

Friday Freakin' - I'm Working on It

Words Matter ... If you actually want to, y'know ... WIN

We covered this with the Clean Coal debate: What you call things the first time you ask your audience to think about something realyreally matters.

In the early 90s, and -- in case you missed it -- again now, the entire Beltway community seems obsessed with something called "Health Care Reform." Statistics, and indeed insults, fly. Some more trustworthy or sane than others, as the case may be.

Threats and rumors of violence abound.

Over ... What were we talking about?

Oh, yeah. Socialism.

No?

Okay, sick children then.

No?

Oh, yeah: How do we pay for it when we have to go to the doctor more than we thought we would or can afford?

Here's the deal: That's not health care. [or healthcare depending on your stylebook of choice]

That's Health Insurance, or at least Health Care Financing.

People generally like their Health Care. It's the paying for it that gets complicated. If you have a pre-existing condition, you still can get an appointment with a specialist, as long as you can ... wait for it ... PAY for the doctor's/clinic's/practitioner's time.

Even Doc Graham has to eat.

I, too, hope President Obama is the last president to tackle health care reform. If he's not, I truly hope he's the last one to call it that.



Further reading:

See the late XX/early XXI Century poet L. Lovett:

Was that a beer joint
Or was that the country club
Were we fooling around
Or was it truly love
Was that a foreign film
Or just a show
Why i don't know
I just had to go
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