Some things are better left unsaid
As often as you hear someone complain about being “misquoted,” you’d think there is an epidemic involving reporters twisting interview subjects’ words around.
The reality?
“I was misquoted” and “What I said was taken out of context” are the default responses for people whose words — their own, mind you — come back to bite them in an unfortunate spot.
In many cases, what was said was even caught on tape or on video, but that often doesn’t stop the damage-control people from trying to flip the blame to a dastardly reporter.
It’s easier to do that than to admit you stepped in it.
Serena Williams was the latest celebrity to step gingerly away from her own words after they created a stir.
Late Tuesday, the tennis star’s comments about the Steubenville rape case during a Rolling Stone interview hit the news and the reaction was, well, exactly what you’d expect after Williams said the Steubenville rapists — former members of the storied Big Red football team — “did something stupid.”
During an interview exchange, Williams asked: “Do you think it was fair, what they got?”
Williams also seemed to suggest the victim in the case — a 16-year-old girl — shared responsibility for the sexual assault.
“I’m not blaming the girl, but if you’re a 16-year-old and you’re drunk like that, your parents should teach you: Don’t take drinks from other people,” Williams told Rolling Stone.
“She shouldn’t have put herself in that position, unless they slipped her something, then that’s different.”
But on Wednesday, Williams “apologized” in a manner of speaking, while suggesting she may not have made the comments attributed to her.
“I am currently reaching out to the girl’s family to let her know that I am deeply sorry for what was written in the Rolling Stone article,” Williams said in a statement Wednesday. “What was written — what I supposedly said — is insensitive and hurtful, and I by no means would say or insinuate that she was at all to blame.”
Wait. What?
Williams never apologized for the comments. She said she was sorry for what was written, as if she had nothing to do with it. If you don’t think Williams is trying to shift blame here, what about her “what I supposedly said” qualifier?
Just once, it would be nice to hear someone who has said something stupid simply admit to it instead of playing the “misquoted” card.
I’m not saying it never happens. But it always seems to happen just when someone makes a fool of himself — or herself — and wants to fend off the resulting bad publicity.
Most of us who talk to people for a living can accurately write down or record quotes. Years ago, I interviewed a coach whose comments about a team created some blowback for him. He tried to say he was misquoted, but I had the notes to prove otherwise.
I’m not sure what Serena Williams was thinking or how much knowledge she had about the Steubenville rape case. I’m puzzled as to why it would come up during an interview with Rolling Stone.
But whatever the answers to those questions are, Williams’ comments were insensitive and stupid.
If she made them — and we have no reason to believe otherwise — she should own them.
Ed Puskas is sports editor of The Vindicator. Write him at epuskas@vindy.com and follow him on Twitter, @edpuskas85.