Earlier this week a truly epic Playboy interview with John Mayer was released and it caused quite the public reaction. Between John spilling details on his relationships with Jessica Simpson and Jennifer Aniston and his use of the most hated racial slur ever, not too many folks walked away from reading it unoffended. Especially upset about some of John’s remarks is actress Holly Robinson Peete, who sat down with People to discuss what was said about her.
Q: Would you have been so flattered by John Mayer stating you’re “gorgeous” if you’d read what he said in the rest of the interview?
A: The answer is no. I would never have been as flattered. As a matter of fact, it went from a compliment to being an insult. That anyone would think that I would be so giddy about this young man’s compliment that I would compromise my integrity as an African American woman is the most disturbing part for me. I foolishly and impulsively commented (to E!) on a sound bite from an interview that was sent to me by a girlfriend and I didn’t know the context at all. … Clearly, after I understood how John Mayer’s comments were bookended by racial insensitivities and this racially charged, rambling diatribe that denigrated black women, it became a whole other animal.
Q: How do you feel about what Mayer said?
A: I was disgusted and offended. Especially when I started reading his surrounding comments. In the whole body of the article, there wasn’t anything that wasn’t offensive. … It was beyond inappropriate. It’s crucial for African American women to understand that I would never knowingly gush about such a compliment had I had any clue that it was bookended by these racially denigrating comments about black women. I feel disgusted by it. I went from flattered to flat-out pissed.
Q: Do you feel John Mayer is a racist?
A: Is it possible to say something racially charged, bigoted and flat out ignorant and not be a racist person? That’s the question. My impression is that it’s possible, but I want to make it clear that this guy has some major issues to sort through and a whole lot of apologies to make. I heard some apologies about the N-word, and I’ve seen him crying, which seemed sincere. But I don’t know if he understands how much he hurt black women’s feelings.
Q: Has he reached out to you to apologize?
A: He was very remorseful about the fact that I was inadvertently tangled up into this mess. He reached out to me via email. … He did not apologize for his comments. … At this point, it doesn’t feel right for me to totally accept his apology. It’s time for him to really just drop the frat boy act and take responsibility for everything that he said, no matter how painful it’s going to be for him.
While Holly has every right to be upset, I think she also needs to thank John for making her somewhat relevant again. Kidding, kind of.
John Mayer is my favorite kind of racist, the kind that gets away with it because of their looks. Too bad Kramer didn’t get lucky in the looks category or he’d have gotten off scott free.
“I think she also needs to thank John for making her somewhat relevant again. Kidding, kind of.”
Molls, that is terrible. The “kind of.” That is terrible. Making someone “relevant” again by saying terribly racist things about them is not something to be thankful for. If it were me, I’d have rather stayed in the unknown.
I don’t think what he said was actually that racist. Just because you say the word nigger doesn’t mean your a racist. Black people say it all the time. I don’t think he was being racist in the context of what he was saying. At the same time, I still think he’s a douche bag and wonder why he is even relevant when he clearly has the maturity of a 12 year old horny school boy.
And didn’t you just love getting to write the N word? LOser.
Exactly. It’s just a word. People gave such a meaning to this simple WORD that now it is the worst insult in the history of insults – but only if it comes from the mouth of someone who isn’t black.
Not saying he’s not stupid, but this is not a big deal if you have any sense at all.
I love it when white people or people of any other race than black try to demystify the N-word. You will never demystify it. Nor will you understand the centuries of hate, ignorance, oppression, and trauma associated with it. So before you go around assuming all black people go around saying it, so why should they be upset when other people do, realize that not all black people use the word. I’m one of those black people. And I swear to God you sound like the most ignorant motherfucker who ever lived by saying shit like that. It’s never ok to use a racially offensive word for any race, ethnicity or color of people. Period.
And this has nothing to do with me being overly-sensitive or too PC. I already know you dumbasses counter-argument before you can get the ignorant crap out of your mouth. I’m simply a woman who knows when to use certain language and when to never use it. Anyone who is a responsible human being and cares for humanity will think before using hate speech of this kind or any other kind. Not because you’re being PC, but because you’re being a caring HUMAN BEING.
And for all of you who are secretly enjoying having an excuse to write the N word without being banned from the site, FUCK YOU.
A M E N!!!
Holly is full of crap. She was fine with it until ppl started calling her out on twitter..She gets a “girl, bye” form me.
Holly was fine with it when people were telling her he said she was pretty. When she got wind of the whole interview and the context of how he spoke about her, it changed……
Maybe she’d like some french cries to go with her wahburger.
Or a little cheese with that whine.
Maybe even a sob-marine sandwich.
I COULD KEEP GOING!
Emily serves up comedy gold.
“While Holly has every right to be upset, I think she also needs to thank John for making her somewhat relevant again. Kidding, kind of.”
Yeah Molls you should have just left that last part out. Clearly you dont understand the message that HRP was trying to get across. No one with any self worth is going to be thankful for a back handed, racially charged “compliment”. Regardless of how “relevant” it may make them.
I was going to disagree with you, and cite Linday Lohan as a person who would absolutely enjoy feeling relevant while being offended, but then I saw that you were specifically referring to someone “with any self worth.” As you were!
true true
I really think she’s just saving face at this point. When JM comments were originally revealed to her, she was flattered and specifically said that she didn’t think he was racist. NOW….after she’s been bitch slapped on Twitter and in the media, she says that his comments WERE racially charged.
Has she even been in anything since 21 Jump Street? She has got to be close to 50 by now. I’m 34 and I was like 10 when that damn show was out.
Do I think John Mayer is a racist? No. Do I think he is arrogant and likes to smell his own farts? Yes. He was trying to be something that he isn’t: clever and cool. I’m already over it. I’m one of those people that actually accepts an apology.
hahahah @ smelling his own farts. genius. ATHF anyone?
Hanging with Mr. Cooper!
Who the F.UCK is Holly Robinson Peete? And why does anyone care what she thinks about John Mayer?
“While Holly has every right to be upset, I think she also needs to thank John for making her somewhat relevant again. Kidding, kind of.
— This last part, totally unnecessary. Bring the Beet back full time! Molls….eh. I’m over it.
ditto. loved this site when Evil Beet was putting out commentary.
I’m a black woman that likes John Mayer’s music. When I saw him hang out with Dave Chappelle and QuestLove(the drummer from Roots), and do the white people /black people music experiment I thought, he’s totally cool! When I saw him do his acoustic version of Michael Jackson’s “human nature”, I thought, the boy is bad- really like him!! My feelings have changed……. I still love his songs but I don’t think he’s too bright and can actually be called “ignorant” in this case. Your preference is your preference but don’t sell yourself short. Has he not heard – the darker the berry the sweater the juice? Has he not heard that “once you go black you never go back”? Why he continues to allow a racist dick to lead him is beyond me, so I say, he’s not too bright and has no idea what he’s missing.
I do NOT call anyone the “N” word. Yes, many black folks say it and I think they are just as wrong as John Mayer. Yes, it’s just a word but the word has too much bad history behind it….anyone using that word in 2010, whether you want to admit it, believe it, or not, they are to some extent…………. racist….if they call their own the “N” word, what do you think they call and or think of you and vise verse. Think about it! If you are still in the mindset to use such a negative word, rapper, singer, or not, you have a long way to go before the basic common sense sets in that tells you that is NOT acceptable anymore. We have come too far……..we have a black president! Come on now, put the word to rest.
If I were John, I would 1st apologize to Holly Robinson Peete in public since I degraded her in public then I would beg Oprah to let me on her show and I would ask her to invite every influential black woman she knows to the show (you know how Oprah does), then I would sing the song I just wrote, an extended version of waiting for the world to change but it would be a little more along the lines of ” I see I need to change and I’m taking the steps to do it now” and I would sing my heart out in front of those beautiful black women on national TV. When My song is over, I would cry and apologize again, I would accept their forgiveness of my sorry behind and then……… I would NEVER use such a word again!