Logan Paul
Photo credit: Logan Paul Vlogs/YouTube
What was the Accusation?
YouTube star Logan Paul was in the Aokigahara forest near the base of Mount Fuji in Japan during 2017 while filming for his popular daily video blog. The forest is commonly known as the “suicide forest,” and Paul and his companions filmed the body of a person hanging from a rope under a tree in the distance. Paul asks, “Bro, did we just find a dead person in the suicide forest?” The video then shows the victim up close. The face is blurred, but the body is not, while Paul addresses the camera and says that mental illness, depression, and suicide are no joking matter. The group’s reactions are also filmed, including Paul’s nervous laughter and exaggerated responses, which many viewers saw as inappropriate given the gravity of the situation.
Within 24 hours, millions had watched the footage, and accusations spread that Paul had exploited the person’s suicide for attention and caused further pain to the victim’s family. The controversy was especially intense because Paul’s audience included many young children and teenagers. Critics argued that he had used a person’s death as spectacle and entertainment. On January 1, 2018, Paul released a written apology on Twitter, and on January 2, 2018, he followed with a video apology on YouTube. His responses used mortification, attacking the accuser, good intentions, and defeasibility by apologizing, rejecting the idea that he posted the video for views, claiming he intended to raise awareness for suicide prevention, and saying the situation was unplanned and that his reaction was shaped by shock.
Key Apologia Strategies:
Mortification, Attacking the Accuser, Good Intentions, Defeasibility
Video
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Transcript
Written Apology (January 1, 2019)
Dear Internet, Where do I begin… Let’s start with this. I’m sorry. This is a first for me. I’ve never faced criticism like this before, because I’ve never made a mistake like this before. I’m surrounded by good people and believe I make good decisions, but I’m still a human being. I can be wrong. I didn’t do it for views. I get views. I did it because I thought I could make a positive ripple on the internet, not cause a monsoon of negativity. That’s never the intention. I intended to raise awareness for suicide and suicide prevention and while I thought “if this video saves just ONE life, it’ll be worth it,” I was misguided by shock and awe, as portrayed in the video. I still am. I do this sh*t every day. I’ve made a 15 minute TV show EVERY SINGLE DAY for the past 460+ days. One may understand that it’s easy to get caught up in the moment without fully weighing the possible ramifications. I’m often reminded of how big of a reach I truly have & with great power comes great responsibility… for the first time in my life I’m regretful to say I handled that power incorrectly. It won’t happen again. I love everyone. I believe in people. I’m out here. Peace #Logang4Life
YouTube Apology (January 2, 2020)
I’ve made a severe and continuous lapse of my judgment and I don’t expect to be forgiven. I’m simply here to apologize.
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