John Mayer Sorry For “Arrogant” Playboy Interview
February 11th, 2010
John Mayer has taken to Twitter to apologise for using the N-word during an interview with Playboy magazine, admitting that it was “arrogant” and lamenting, “I don’t have the stomach for [the fallout].
In an interview with Playboy, Mayer discussed his rapport with the black community.
“Someone asked me the other day, ‘What does it feel like now to have a hood pass?’” he said.
“And by the way, it’s sort of a contradiction in terms, because if you really had a hood pass, you could call it a n*gger pass. Why are you pulling a punch and calling it a hood pass if you really have a hood pass?”
Mayer has had an opportunity to think about what he said, and he apparently regrets it.
Over a series of tweets, he told his 3 million-plus followers:
“Re: using the ‘N word’ in an interview: I am sorry that I used the word. And it’s such a shame that I did because the point I was trying to make was in the exact opposite spirit of the word itself. It was arrogant of me to think I could intellectualize using it because I realize that there’s no intellectualizing a word that is so emotionally charged.
“And while I’m using today for looking at myself under harsh light, I think it’s time to stop trying to be so raw in interviews… It started as an attempt to not let the waves of criticism get to me, but it’s gotten out of hand and I’ve created somewhat of a monster.
“I wanted to be a blues guitar player. And a singer. And a songwriter. Not a shock jock. I don’t have the stomach for it.”
He added, “Again, because I don’t want anyone to think I’m equivocating: I should have never said the word and I will never say it again.”
During the interview, Mayer also described his 2006 relationship with Jessica Simpson, saying, “That girl was like crack cocaine to me… Sexually, it was crazy. That’s all I’ll say. It was like napalm, sexual napalm.”
