C'est la vie - An Apology
I got sent this today. As someone who frequently offends with my pen and then is forced to munch through lots of humble pie, I would want to be the first to suggest the mistake is acknowledged and we all move on. However, there is now the perfect opportunity for Genevieve to plan an extensive feature which debunks all the myths about virus contraction/the testing process/where to go to get advice about retro-virals, as well as doing its bit to reach to encourage those in doubt to go for a test (its the best way to live a full life), and those with positive friends and loved ones to reach out and support them in all ways possible - including with hugs and kisses:
"My attention has been drawn to the outrage my last MorningDew has evoked in my readers, and to say the least, I’m mortified. But like the title says, C’est la vie. That’s life. Let’s just say that it took our readers’ ire for me to see the specs in my eyes this time. I accept and I apologize. Let’s just say that my view has been misconstrued to mean that I’m being judgmental, but who am I to judge? I never meant it that way, and like I said, I am simply mortified. What I wrote in that piece was just a reflection, or should I say, an expression of how any average human being can feel given that circumstance. I was only trying to show how panicky and ignorant the best of us can be about HIV/AIDS. Perhaps it’s just the human side of me taking over. For over four years, Morning dew has inspired; it has taught and shaped people, and those are the things that I love to do and they have kept me going! Morning dew is where I keep it real and that’s what I’d hoped to do with Cest La Vie but it went very awry and I stepped on our readers’ sensitivity in a big way. If what I wrote to playfully caution people has come across so wrongly, I can only apologize.
I have also apologized to Yinka Ekpe herself and her husband, and they’ve taken it in good spirit and forgiven me. Maybe this is the time for me to crave your indulgence – all you readers out there. To err is human, and if after over four years of Morning Dew, you’re finding me guilty just this once, then I deserve the privilege of a pardon. PLEASE, it’s not in my character to hurt people.
Betty Irabor"
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13 comments:
hear hear Betty.....
did u hear about dokubu being freed and about peter obi being reinstated?
uba's backers definitely won't be pleased
there was nothing 'playfull' about her apology. its even offensive.
Accepting responsibility, admitting a mistake, apologizing, and offering a retraction and hopefully some other corrective measures...i respect that. A lot.
Hopefully we'llal learn from it and move on (but not away from the ever present issues of HIV and AIDS)
Point well taken and said. If indeed she is sorry, it does not hurt to have damage control by a full feature educating the country on AIDS. I find it interesting and actually feel that some good has come out of it which is an opportunity for ALL of us to learn.
If Betty Irabor's intention was to say "There but for the grace of God..." then she was wide off the mark. Her apologies so far are grossly inadequate in the face of the massive offence caused by her comments, which she'd actually thought was okay! Makes you wonder what universe some of our celebrities live in.
Beautiful apology, I like this woman.
Jeremy, sorry to be using your blog for a shout-out, but please humour me...
Does anyone out there have the March '07 issue of Genevieve, the one that has Yinka Jegede-Ekpe on the cover?
If so, can you send me scanned pages of the actual interview with the lady by email? If you could, please send to: [email protected]. I'd be grateful...
Much obliged,
MW
Lolita, are you mad. There is nothing beautiful about this apology whatsoever. It is disgraceful. Betty Irabor is totally insincere. So if her readers hadn't drawn her attention to it, she wouldn't see a problem with her article? As for as I am concern, this apology is part of a damage control to appease her readers who might decide to boycott her magazine. She wouldn't want to mess around with her bottomline now would she?
Will know of her sincerity if she devotes at least a whole edition to the issue. Afterall if VAnity Fair can devote a whole edition to AFrica, she can do so to HIV related issues.
All those glossy women's magazines out there beware, the blog police are always on the look out for you.
Anonymous, no, I am not mad, are you?
So she apologised.
How does that erase the damage caused.
How can you forgive such insolence, I'm just saying.
As an adult I become responsible for my utterances both written and spoken also extremely cautious, every right thinking person should do same.
Aids is ravaging Africa and as we educate ourselves about this disease, we should also be conscious of the effect of our actions to those affected by it.
As my beautiful friend who is suffering with HIV would say anytime I warn him about taking his medicines, " I don't know what y'all talking about, since magic still alive,I ain't going nowhere.
We can find humor to this because we know, what about those who can't? Just my 2 cents!
"To err is human, and if after over four years of Morning Dew, you’re finding me guilty just this once, then I deserve the privilege of a pardon."
If you 'deserve the privilege of a pardon' then you are not really sorry at all. What have you done to deserve the privilege of a pardon? All u have done is fucked up big time. Your apology reeks of arrogance, self-righteousness and ignorance.
To prove to us, just do a feature o n the issue as a way to educate yourself and your reader.
If no one has told you, this is really not a sincere apology.
I think we should boycott the magazine until we see a full apology (and not the uppity excuse of one from Madame BigLagosWoman so far) and a full length feature which clarifies all the myths about HIV-AIDS - including all the ones that Betty herself believes...
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