Foot in Mouth...John Mayer's Week
In case you haven't heard, John Mayer has had one hell of a week. A week that would have been pretty calm on tour had it not been for him opening up his mouth and sharing a few inner thoughts...I emphasize "inner" thoughts because they aren't meant to ever be outer thoughts that are shared with other people. I'm not talking about other people like a few best friends, I'm talking about sharing those thoughts in a Playboy Magazine article for everyone to read. Sometimes it's good to get secret, inner thoughts off the brain, it can be thermoplastic to let someone in on how you really feel about something personal, like which girls you chose to date. BUT...like everything in life, there is a line and when you cross it and tell people things that can leave a lasting (potentially bad) image of you in their heads, it can be very bad. Case in point, some of John Mayer's comments in the recent interview:
In response to the outrage that his comments caused, JM apologized in a series of Twitter posts. He claims his intentions are not to be a shock jock and admits he should probably stop being so "raw" in interviews. Also, see below his on stage apology in Nashville, where he apologizes and pokes fun at himself as a "possible future grown up" while sincerely noting that he let his band members/friends/ family down with the recent comments.
It's pretty clear he insulted a lot of people, mostly African American and women, with his comments and similar to Kanye he needs to develop that filter that nips seemingly ignorant and WTMI confessions in the bud. As a white guy, even if you have black friends whom you're comfortable with and know you, that still doesn't mean you can freely use the N word. Even though it was clear he wasn't using it in a derogatory fashion necessarily, it should NEVER be considered a safe word in any white man's vocabulary. I think I speak for most people when I say John just keep using music to vent all of these innermost thoughts, insecurities and vulnerabilities...being open and emotional about life is part of what makes your music worth listening to...but it's not something we really care to know about away from music. Next time do a better job of parsing your words because at this point you should know its pretty easy to take things out of context when they're printed. I like that he vows to just keep playing the guitar and stay out of the media, which is what we all hope he really does after this incident...
Ending on a more positive note...below is him performing the cover of I'm On Fire by Bruce Springsteen, which is a bonus track (and my favorite track) off his new album Battle Studies.
Playboy If you didn’t know you, would you think you’re a douche bag?
John Mayer: It depends on what I picked up. My two biggest hits are “Your Body Is a Wonderland” and “Daughters.” If you think those songs are pandering, then you’ll think I’m a douche bag. It’s like I come on very strong. I am a very…I’m just very. V-E-R-Y. And if you can’t handle very, then I’m a douche bag. But I think the world needs a little very. That’s why black people love me.
Playboy: Because you’re very?
John Mayer: Someone asked me the other day, “What does it feel like now to have a hood pass?” And by the way, it’s sort of a contradiction in terms, because if you really had a hood pass, you could call it a nigger pass. Why are you pulling a punch and calling it a hood pass if you really have a hood pass? But I said, “I can’t really have a hood pass. I’ve never walked into a restaurant, asked for a table and been told, ‘We’re full.”
Playboy: Do black women throw themselves at you?
John Mayer: I don’t think I open myself to it. My dick is sort of like a white supremacist. I’ve got a Benetton heart and a fuckin’ David Duke cock. I’m going to start dating separately from my dick.
In response to the outrage that his comments caused, JM apologized in a series of Twitter posts. He claims his intentions are not to be a shock jock and admits he should probably stop being so "raw" in interviews. Also, see below his on stage apology in Nashville, where he apologizes and pokes fun at himself as a "possible future grown up" while sincerely noting that he let his band members/friends/ family down with the recent comments.
It's pretty clear he insulted a lot of people, mostly African American and women, with his comments and similar to Kanye he needs to develop that filter that nips seemingly ignorant and WTMI confessions in the bud. As a white guy, even if you have black friends whom you're comfortable with and know you, that still doesn't mean you can freely use the N word. Even though it was clear he wasn't using it in a derogatory fashion necessarily, it should NEVER be considered a safe word in any white man's vocabulary. I think I speak for most people when I say John just keep using music to vent all of these innermost thoughts, insecurities and vulnerabilities...being open and emotional about life is part of what makes your music worth listening to...but it's not something we really care to know about away from music. Next time do a better job of parsing your words because at this point you should know its pretty easy to take things out of context when they're printed. I like that he vows to just keep playing the guitar and stay out of the media, which is what we all hope he really does after this incident...
Ending on a more positive note...below is him performing the cover of I'm On Fire by Bruce Springsteen, which is a bonus track (and my favorite track) off his new album Battle Studies.
1 comments:
After the apologetic confession in at his concert, he should have played "My Stupid Mouth". That would have been a perfect segway, and the girls still would have gone nuts for him. You're bad John.
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