Kyle Larson Faces Backlash From Social Media Following Apology for Racial Slur
Sunday evening, NASCAR driver Kyle Larson used a racial slur during an 'iRacing' virtual race. He [...]
— Fake Brad Howe (@fake_howe) April 13, 2020
Now that Larson has apologized for using the racial slur, there are users on Twitter wondering what will happen to his career. He has already been suspended indefinitely by NASCAR and Chip Ganassi Racing. Will his sponsors also part ways with him? Two of his top partners are Credit One Bank and McDonald's.
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I understand about mistakes because we all make them. However the way it casually rolled out your mouth was not a mistake. Are you sorry because everyone heard you? Or sorry you've been suspended indefinitely and may lose your ride? I love gaming and I never ever say that word.
— Corey White (@coreywhite801) April 13, 2020
Following Larson's use of the racial slur and his subsequent apology, there were many comments about "the ease" with which he dropped the term. In the opinion of some Twitter users, Larson didn't appear to struggle with saying the N-word. One person said that the driver "must use it in everyday life."
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Comes natural to you dude. You say it all the time. Why pretend it’s a shock?
— Frank Grey Esq. (@FrankGreyEsq) April 13, 2020
There were some Twitter users that wanted to ask Larson questions about his apology and previous use of the racial slur. Specifically, one asked why this word would be used as a test for whether or not his spotter could hear him over the voice chat. Another said, "That came out way too easily last night."
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There seems to be a trend here. This wasn’t a 1 time thing Kyle. It’s who you are and what you believe. pic.twitter.com/HaojNJNS87
— Pinky-Girl 👩🏻🎤 (@PinkyGirl755) April 13, 2020
When Larson apologized for the racial slur, there were many responses. Some simply said that he didn't "feel regret" while others accepted his apology. Some Twitter users, however, searched through his timeline in an effort to find past examples. This included a tweet from 2018 in which Larson referenced NFL players kneeling during the national anthem.
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Feels forced as hell.. you had no regret in your voice
— joshua shelburne (@ShelburneJoshua) April 13, 2020
Was this apology genuine? The opinions were split on Monday morning. There were several users on social media that felt that Larson was truly sorry for what he had said during the race on Easter Sunday. Others were far less convinced and didn't believe that he showed any regret.
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you don’t say that word by “mistake”. you probably would’ve said it regardless, off or on stream, and that’s the disappointing part.
— leah (@leahx____) April 13, 2020
There were several fans that weighed in on social media in response to Larson's apology. Some were ready to forgive him while others were not convinced that his apology was real. There were some comments about how he still said the word despite "not being raised that way." In their opinion, both statements couldn't be true.
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You are a disgrace. Out of all the words you could have used. The F word, the B word or no words. You deserve to be fired immediately.........
— Eugene Willis (@GenoWill) April 13, 2020
Larson faced a considerable amount of criticism on Monday after he released the apology video. Several Twitter users said that this was simply a "fake message" while others said that he likely uses the slur in daily conversation. Some people, however, just wanted to know why he opted for the N-word instead of something else.
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