Apologies Accepted

American Psychiatric Association - Color Me Sorry

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) issued an apology in January 2021 for its contributions to structural racism in psychiatry.  Founded in 1844, 20 years before the Civil War, the APA was a product of its times, and racism was hard-baked into its structure.  Recognizing the harm that "race based inequities" has caused, the APA takes note of its previous actions and will begin addressing the issue head-on.

It's a conversation striven (strewn) with complexities that considers the ultimate question: Can the master's tools dismantle the master's house?

The Apology Line - Go for Baroque

1970’s New York was a gritty laboratory that created both artists and criminals.  It was a place and time where the boundaries of art were challenged and broken.  Alan Bridge’s Apology Line was one artist’s experiment with art that became his own Frankenstein’s Monster.  Alan meant to tap into the human experience and bring art off of the canvas, to blur the lines between art and reality.  His artistic creation was meant to do good in the world, but in the end it would consume his life and put him in touch with murderers, thieves, and frauds.  Some calls were hoaxes, some were real: it was all art.  Or was it?  Can phone calls be art?  What makes art legitimate?  The Apologist consider the intersection of art, crime, technology, and one man's tragic ending that is tinged with irony.

The Apology Line is a podcast produced by Wondery and recounts the full details of Alan Bridge’s artistic project and his career as an artist.  He was legit, the real deal.  An artist who helped push the concept of art (whatever it is) forward.

Operation Warp Speed – Derp Speed Ahead!

It’s our most science-y episode yet!  What is the coronavirus, what are vaccines, and how quickly can you get your shot?  Operation Warp Speed was the intended answer to all those questions.  It had a twofold promise: quick vaccine development (check!) and quick distribution (no check!).  The epic failure of the program has been explained as a simple error in math and a miscommunication.  “We are sorry, we set your expectations too high by giving you the wrong numbers. We said 20 million but it’s really only 2.8 million.  So really, there isn’t an issue!  We are doing totally great and you can just go on about your day!” 

But there is so much more behind the utterly dismal disaster of the Manhattan Project 2, later Operation Warp Speed, now forever remembered as Operation Derp Speed. The apologists consider the apology of a General who is learning that the orange stain on his hands may not wash off.

 

TOTALLY EXPECTED NEWS FLASH: The Biden Administration has announced it will retire the name “Operation Warp Speed” and consign it to the ash heap of other historical 3rd grade science projects.  Currently being kicked around is the much more obvious “Covid Response Program.”  Watch out, Space Force, you might be next in the renaming schedule!

Lance Armstrong - Peddling Lies

The American dream, beating Europeans at their own game!  Seven times Tour de France champion, king of cyclists, Lance Armstrong had it all.  He was an American hero, a survivor who beat all odds, who dreamed big and lived boldly.  And lied.  It all comes tumbling down and the Apologists are there to help make sense of the pieces.  Lance apologizes upon the alter of Oprah (all hail!) raising the question: what happens when our heroes turn out to be human after all?

Babies Stealing Your Candy :(

In these strange times we take you back to the more innocent days of childhood.  Stealing a bowlful of Halloween candy from your neighbor’s porch seems like a gentler crime from gentler days…but there is a social contract involved!  You aren’t allowed to trick anyone who has left you a treat.  That’s the rule.  So once you are found out, you’d better apologize.  We walk through the history of Halloween, how it took root in America, and what grew out of it that lead to a child in Wisconsin breaking with tradition and stealing all the candy from a neighbor's porch!

What other social contracts are being violated?  Regulations around our national food supply?  A short but rousing vegetarian approved sidebar that may just make you choose a salad for lunch.  Or maybe KFC really is the only thing standing between your eyeball and a hungry chicken?

Note: discussion of a public shooting begins the episode.

Hello Hitler!

We were only planning two bonus episodes, one for the Holiday Season and one for New Years, but we stupidly forgot about Wednesday, January 6 - Insurrection Day!  We bring you 4 apologies on this bonus episode: an attorney who worked for the Trump administration, two completely innocent civilians who “were just innocent bystanders” while live-streaming the insurrection at the Capitol, and one elected official who marched into the Capitol and has since resigned in disgrace.  Please note: mention of death by suicide in this episode.  If you are in crisis or would just like to speak with someone, please call 800.273.8255.  The National Suicide Prevention Hotline is free, confidential, and available 24/7.

Jet Blue – The Friendlier Skies

The skies are about to get a whole lot more Shakespearian when revenge strikes out of the Jet Blue (sorry).  How does a day-long snowstorm impact just one airline for nearly a week?  While the snowstorm of 2007 was historic, the bigger historic event was how the stumbling recovery of one airline, which started out on the promise of making flying better, led to the Jet Blue Customer Bill of Rights which eventually reformed airlines’ customer service policies in the US. 

Enjoy this episode from October 2020 with discussions about upcoming holidays like Christmas (heard of it?) and Halloween, with a sprinkling of horrible flight stories, and then we jet off (sorry) to the actual apology discussion of Jet Blue Airlines (the 12:50 mark, Skippers!).  This episode is not only from the long-ago forgotten days of 2020, it looks forward!  The CEO of Jet Blue was fired and March of 2021 will see his revenge with the launch of a new American airline – one that promises to be a low cost carrier with a focus on customer service.

La Scala - It's My Party and I'll Die if I Want to

1950s glamour meets 2020 prohibition as La Scala Beverly Hills apologizes for trying to circumvent local health ordinances.  Or maybe they weren’t trying to go around the law?  Maybe it was all really was just a joke that landed poorly.  Maybe it really is the fault of "someone" and not us!  Not our fault at all!  The apologist tackle the reality of Covid vs the struggles of small business vs those maskless "mask-holes" who just want FREEDOM!

Mel Gibson – All the Sins at Once

Few of us would look good if all of our mistakes were reviewed in an hour long podcast.  Sit back and enjoy while we discuss Mr. Gibson’s apology for antisemitic remarks and as we consider how Malibu PD offers special treatment to celebrities but not to the mentally ill.  The big secret to forgiveness in Hollywood?  Make. Us. Money.   

Kanye West – Taylor Swift is not the Frenemy

Imma tell you about this episode but first I want to say that Beyoncé had one of the best podcasts of all time!  And one of the best videos too!  Kanye is not forcing me to type this and he is not saying that you should totally skip this episode.  The Apologists consider how this event in pop culture may be viewed as the intersection of the early 2000’s and mental health, racism, misogyny, power imbalance, and good ol’ imposter syndrome. 

Note to the Swifties: if you like this episode you can put a ring on it!