Never apologize. As a consequence of the growing supremacy of the politically correctness and of the emergence of a new sea of cameras, micro-booms, mobile phones, and satellite dishes of all kinds, nobody is safe from seeing an inappropriate comment repeted and reproduced ad inifinitum on the Internet. Words are thunderbolts, which most of the time sneak their way out of their owners' mouth to reach the media. Those who say them now have to be very careful about flashes and sunlights, and they rediscover the urge to remain silent, or know what to say, after a time where everything was good to gain publicity. It is now the time for repentance and apologies that people should pull out as rapidly as the inappropriate BS they said got out their mouth.

    There's no word said, no gesture made, that can fall down the censors' cracks.

    Trash-talking, especially when it conveys racist overtones, has become the ultimate social offense. Like racism was not already everywhere: prejudices againts the poors and the riches, against ugly, beautiful, old, young, smart, dumb people. That's how the unfortunate John Galliano exploded in mid-flight, victim of a mediatic drone.

    A defensive move will most of the time take the form of a press release or an explanation in front of a rigid journalist. Karl Lagelferd, the eternal sharp-minded fawning polyglott, found himself in a very uncomfortable position in the TV studio of a major French channel newscast, where he had to explain

himself about his lese presidency comments. The good people, who wasn't wishing for more, watched King Karl's apologizing: “I don't speak Spanish, I find François Hollande witty”. Brice Hortefeux, the French former Home Secretary waited for a long time before admitting that his verbal blunder about the “too many Arabs” in France was the worst time of his mandate. It is crucial not only not to apologize, that would be acknowledging that your detractors are right, but also to swear that the contrary was said, that microphones got it wrong. And it's often the case.

    Even an anonymous overworked Orange employee who swamped with despise a less paid employee from the French railway company on a suburban train station platform is entitled to his fifteen minutes of fame, and to a press release from his company explaining that he's burning out and doesn't earn as much money as he says. Like a boss :-)

    Not to mention Patrick Besson's caretaker, a columnist for Le Point, who broadcasts press releases to set her vacations dates and the opening hours of her lodge.

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