A non-apology apology
The Daily Barometer published an official statement from Oregon State University’s Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity. The statement was regarding the noose that was hanging in a tree on the Phi Gamma Delta property. The print version of the article was constructed as an apology (at least by the Daily Barometer). The print version started on the front page of the Barometer and ended on page 3. The headline for the page 3 continuation of the “statement” reads as “Noose: Apology offered, removing offensive object.”
Unfortunately, it was a non-apology apology. My bachelors is a BA in Public Relations but I can decode BS.
We acknowledge that fellow Oregon State students have been offended by this, and wish to make it known that this was never our intention. We would also like to thank the individuals who brought this matter to our attention, and will use this as an opportunity to educate our members.
Saying your sorry means actually saying that you apologize. My inner public relations klaxons went off the second I read those two sentences. They basically say that they now know that people were upset by the noose in their yard but that they never intended to offend anyone. Acknowledging that we are wrong is a difficult thing to do. I wish that the Brothers of the Kappa Omicron Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta had said that they were sorry instead of using a PR maneuver.
Related posts:
The classic non-apology apology: apologize for the fact that people got offended, which implies that the problem was not the action one is supposedly apologizing for but that something is wrong with the folks who got offended.
Which is pretty frackin’ insulting.
Dennis
12 Nov 07 at 11:12 pm
Phi Gamma Delta should read this blog and learn that candyass do-nothing whiners will always find something to complain about, whether it’s a stupid halloween decoration or an apology to over-sensitive morons regarding said halloween decoration. It’s best just to ignore the morons.
NSA
12 Nov 07 at 11:16 pm
Have you considered directing a letter to the members of Fiji or to their faculty adviser (who I think is Larry Roper)? Perhaps this would be good constructive criticism for them to hear?
I agree with your tactic of publicly calling attention to this. I also wonder if the charitable act of addressing these folks directly with your concerns might be more conducive to change?
Just a thought.
Michael Faris
12 Nov 07 at 11:34 pm
NSA is a candy-ass moron? Or pasty-ass? Both sound true. That’s why he’s spending his days anonymously sniveling and drooling on other people’s blogs. Real manly and action-oriented, yessirree. Can you even imagine that kind of life? Keep on keepin on, NSA, do yer thing and remember to put out the collection jar!
Kai
13 Nov 07 at 3:07 pm
By “NSA” does NSA mean “no-strings attached”? I’m struggling to figure out what that has to do with his/her/hir claims here. Perhaps its because NSA desires to attach a lack of manhood (candy-ass) to compassion for those who carry grievances over historical and institutional degradation of black people. For NSA, manliness = no compassion.
Perhaps it is linked and NSA is also out for no-strings attached sex because he (I’m guessing here on the sex/gender) values manhood to the point of not wanting to be attached to a partner? Perhaps he has to wear it on his sleeve with a name like “NSA”?
Perhaps I’m trying too hard to be clever and it’s his/her/hir initials.
Either way, I’ll back off from the ad hominem fallacies and point out that, NSA, the use of slurs that connote failed manhood (e.g., “candy-ass”) against folks because their arguments doesn’t actually confront their arguments. It’s an ad hominem attack, and perhaps of the worst kind because it reinforces heteronormativity and holds up masculinity as straight and dominant.
Michael Faris
13 Nov 07 at 9:14 pm
Dennis – It is insulting and although their statement was a step in the right direction it did not recognize that the effect of the noose was powerful and that they made a mistake by using it in the first place (the original noose was hanging a witch — sexism anyone?) and that leaving it up was also a mistake.
NSA – I’ve been moderating and deleting a lot of comments recently. The amount of epithets and name-calling comments sans any type of constructive criticism are why I’ve been hitting the delete key. NSA left a comment with a bogus email address…I actually tried to email NSA but to no avail.
I think that it is an act of cowardice to leave an anonymous comment and engage in name-calling of both me and fellow social justice advocates.
Michael – Good idea. I will follow-up…
Kai – Thanks for commenting. I think I may need to start publishing the IP’s of trolls…
Eric Stoller
13 Nov 07 at 9:18 pm
*sigh* I am so over the PR apology tactic these folks use. It adds insult to injury.
Seattle Slim
13 Nov 07 at 10:12 pm
[...] « A non-apology apology Building community [...]
Building community » Eric Stoller’s blog
13 Nov 07 at 11:21 pm
Witch in noose= “sexism anyone?”
Freedom of speech anyone? Artistic expression anyone? Irony anyone? For all you know, whoever put this installation together was TRYING TO CALL ATTENTION the fact that much of Halloween revolves around the fear of feminine power and feminine symbols. And you aren’t satisfied with the “non-apology?” In light of the fact that this could have been intended as an ironic statement, why would you even consider one necessary? Would you demand an apology for a controversial work of art if it were displayed in some other location than on the grounds of a frat house?
father guido sarducci
1 Dec 07 at 10:35 pm
I am consistently amazed by the groupthink that occurs with members of the greek system (your email, if it is valid, indicates that you are currently in or are an alum of a fraternity).
I think if the members of Phi Gamma Delta had been trying to be ironic, artistic or even educational, they would have mentioned that in their non-apology apology. Did you even read the entire non-apology apology or did you just surf into my site (via an image search of all things) and decide to leave a comment in defense of a situation that related to members of a fraternity?
Eric Stoller
2 Dec 07 at 10:14 am
[...] The fall term at Oregon State University provides an example of this idea of doing nothing but saying that we are looking forward type of thinking. In the fall term, OSU’s community was focused on two separate racist incidents. A student wearing blackface was featured on the front of the campus newspaper (ensuing conversations, editorials, and Facebook groups underscored a campus climate that is not bereft of racism) and a noose was hung in the yard of an OSU fraternity. Both incidents received a lot of press and generated several meetings amongst campus community members. An official statement from President Ray was issued in November. [...]
Looking forward » Eric Stoller’s Blog
30 Mar 08 at 5:40 pm