YouTuber and Internet personality Logan Paul is facing a lot of backlash today, not only for his offensive video, but for his initial apology. In the statement, Paul mentioned himself 26 times.
Dear Internet, pic.twitter.com/42OCDBhiWg
โ Logan Paul (@LoganPaul) January 2, 2018
During a trip to Japan, Paul posted a video of himself and his friends walking through the infamous “suicide forest,” a place in the island where many people have gone to take their own lives. Paul and his friends came across a victim of suicide, and included footage of it โ along with their reactions โ in the video.
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The video was quickly deleted after Paul realized how much the image upset people. His first apology for the misstep, which he posted as a series of screenshots on Twitter, got him in even more trouble. In it, he referenced himself 26 times โ explaining that his massive sphere of influence is a great power to wield. He points out that he’s never made a mistake like this before, which disgusted many readers just as much as the mistake itself.
Paul later posted a second apology as a video on YouTube. In it, he maintains a glassy-eyed gaze directly into the camera and takes a more humble approach. Still, for many people it’s too little too late.
Fans and followers of Paul know him for his bravado and self-congratulatory style. Millions of fans log in every day to watch his vlogs where he shows off his mansion, his cars and his expensive lifestyle โ all of which is funded by the videos they’re watching.
For non-fans who are just catching wind of the egregious error, all that contextualizes the video in an even worse light. Paul’s first apology rushed right to the brushing it off phase โ beginning with “this is a first for me,” and ending with “it won’t happen again.” It’s an incomplete apology, especially to people who don’t subscribe to his boisterous persona.