John Mayer and Playboy, Part 2: The self-loathing Twitterpology

John Mayer took to Twitter today to apologize for using a racial slur in his recent interview with Playboy magazine. 

Actually, he did more than that, manifesting a microburst of self-loathing that took about an hour to rain down in painful 140-character parcels. And who's to say a new storm won't roll in before we know it.

"I think it's time to stop trying to be so raw in interviews."

OK. He's been thinking it's time to stop a lot of things, I guess?

"I just wanted to play the guitar for people. Everything else just sort of popped up and I improvised, and kept doubling down on it ..."

Well, now, that's about to tip over from highly evolved meta-awareness to just plain old feeling sorry for yourself, John. You're not about to go fail whale, are you? 

Others in the Twitterverse, including @adilla, have ideas about what might happen next:

"Just waiting for @johncmayer to follow up his apology with an announcement that he's going to rehab. I mean, it kinda worked for Tiger, no?"

But alas, @johncmayer tweets back that there is no rehab for what ails him. 

~~ A moment, please, while the Ministry attends to this single, shimmering, perfectly shaped tear it just shed ~~

Perhaps our little John is finally growing up. Though if he were, he might have realized that speaking the n-word in that interview is far from the only thing that set the "let me offend you" bar so very, very high.

-- Christie D'Zurilla

Photo: Oops, he did it again. Credit: Theo Wargo / Getty Images for VH1.

Related dispatches from an artist's journey through angst (with love and porn mixed in):

John Mayer opens his mouth to Playboy and makes our brain hurt

John Mayer in Rolling Stone: Not over Jennifer Aniston, but an innovator in masturbation

John Mayer back on Twitter; year 2010 now free to proceed

John Mayer equates dating with shame, presses on somehow

PREACH IT! Why pay for cable when you can watch celebrity Twitter wars for free?

Celebrities have all sorts of good clean fun on Twitter, so why not wallow in it with them! You can follow us too; we're @LATcelebs, but we aren't very melty-downy, we admit. And if you want to become a fan on Facebook, find us at facebook.com/ministryofgossip.

Comments

[CDZ from the Ministry]

Hey all! Christie D'Zurilla here from the blog.

John Mayer might not have a problem with profanity and name-calling, but here at MOG we don't talk like that. So ... if your post isn't going live, it's probably because you cussed (even mildly) or called someone that word that often follows "attention" ... or did a cuss word with an ast*risk in the middle, or a d-sh. Maybe you used an acronym that's short for profanity.

We're actually fairly uptight about it, but hey, that's just how we are. Work-safe and all.

:)

Please resubmit clean and I'll publish away! Thanks so much for reading and taking the time to comment. Seriously. Much appreciated.

//cdz

[Sabrina]

Mayer only apologized to cover his butt, not because he's truly sincere. As far as I'm concerned, if he wants to stop doing interviewers it would be a blessing! the less verbal flatulence from narcissistic racists and sexists the better!

[nancy]

you know what, john mayer. it's people like you thats why some black women like me would never date white men. you are a disgrace to ur ownself

[RSD]

I was an avid John Mayer fan who purchased tickets to his concert, bought his music and always had something positive to say about him. Not anymore. I am Black woman and appaled at the Playboy interview. I will never again spend my money on anything Mayer.

[myself]

If you don't think he was sincere, you obviously haven't seen the video of his apology he made on stage during his concert last night...if that wasn't sincere then I don't know what is. If he didn't want to be sincere he wouldn't have apologized to thousands of fans while having it recorded by someones shaky point and shoot to be posted on youtube.

I think an apology is all he can do at this point until the dust settles.

[Isis]

I am so disappointed in John Mayer and his lack of sensitivity. His band used to be all white. I noticed when he did "Storytellers" that his band was all black (including two black female singers) with the exception of one white guitar player. I now know he has used blacks to better his career. Without their presence he would not be selling music. I also wonder if he is passing for white. He looks like a black person to me who is passing for white. His DNA history should be checked because he looks as if he may have close African American presence in his genes. Many times when someone talks as he does and looks like him they are touting self hate. Black women have taken enough hits and will always be the "mother" of this planet. Their essence and beauty when recognized is unsurpassable. They are like the earth, nurturing, yielding, beautiful and yes forgiving.

[kim]

First of all John who said you were even cute enough to date a BLACK Women. You look like you weigh 100 pounds wet. I want a man that can flip me over, i don't want to be able to flip him over because my man is 6'4 and 230 lbs and i love every bit of him. For those 2 black women in your band if they have any respect for themselves they would Quit. Next time you want to talk about black women ask your ancestors how good we were.

[Louis]

It's not the "N" word that most are concerned about. I can understand how use of the "N" word, a word that is highly emotionally charged, could have been taken out of context.

But what I don't think you can take out of context are his statements made about black women. Saying that your penis is sort of like a white supremacist, and that's why you don't date black women, is less of a statement made out of context, and more of a plainly racist statement. Not only is the statement facially racist, but it alienates the thousands if not millions of black women who patronize his talent daily.

I've seen him play on the same stage as Stevie Wonder, a man with a black daughter about the same age as John. I wonder what he would think about John mayer and his "white supremacist penis"?

Shame on you John. Shame.

[Nneka Campbell]

Wow...you write a song titled "Waiting on the World to Change" and this is the direction in which you point it??? I am truly ashamed to have ever listened, purchased and supported your music. I can assure you that that is a mistake that this Black woman will never make again..... And if you can publicly name ANY part of you as a "white supremacist" then ALL of you is a plain old fashioned racist. Intellectualize that...

[Tony]

I appreciate the negative impact of what John Mayer stated in his interview with Playboy. In addition, I understand how individuals say things with the intent to sound witty or provocative. BLUF: Why stay in the limelight after providing a "sincere" apology?

The second and maybe third apology will not calm the waves of disappointment. Time, some other celebrity mistep, and how he carries himself in the future will silence the noise.

Personally, I lean towards the person sharing true thoughts versus hiding behind something else. If Mayer's thoughts from the PB article are sincere, does it take away from his music? Many music buyers and movie goers enjoy the product not the "artist" or celebrity. I enjoyed Mayer's music; never admired him as person.

[Roger]

It is still America is it ? I think John Mayer should be allowed to say anything he wants. You know that old freedom of speech clause in our Constitution. It makes me sick how the country coddles the black population. Is there a White Entertainment Channel ? No ! Is there a Miss White America ? No ! This country lets black people get away with all kind of vile crap but launches attacks on someone for saying the N word as you call it. Well ever time I hear a black commedian on TV he says the N word all night. And also takes shots at white people. Keep playing the good tunes John and if you need a bodyguard give me a call !

[Mattye]

Roger,
Had Blacks, (which I notice you did not capitilize), not been excluded from the mainstrean television programs and beauty shows by Whites, (which you did capitilize, there would not have been a need for these organizations that you have a problem with to exist in the first place. John Mayer is a racist, and I am sorry to have fallen so in love with his music, music that he learned at the knees of Black musicians, and to which I will never listen to again.
Mattye