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99 - Sorry/Not Sorry: Apology Videos and the Toxic Gossip Train (Patreon)

Published:
2023-08-09 06:00:03
Imported:
2026-06
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hi. There have been a lot of allegations going around and the lads would like to take this opportunity to set the record straight: this is an episode about apology videos. I know you’ve heard the ugly accusations that, in this episode, they talk about the origins of the American apology video, Shane Dawson’s seeming addiction to making them, and the impossibility of true repentance when you’ve turned your life into a brand. Well, let me assure you, it’s all true. Suck it h8ers.

Want more TWOAPW? Get access to the rest of this episode, our full back catalogue of premium and bonus episodes, and add your name to the masthead of our website by subscribing for $5/month at Patreon.com/worstofall!

Media Referenced in this Episode:

The Youtube Playlist of All Apology Videos Referenced

Richard Nixon - "Checkers" Speech

Jackie Gleason “You’re in the Picture” Apology Episode Part One

Jackie Gleason “You’re in the Picture” Apology Episode Part Two

Bill Clinton Admits to Having Inappropriate Relationship with Monica Lewinsky

Shane Dawson: “My Apology (Blackface & Offensive Videos)”

Logan Paul: “So Sorry.”

Kevin Spacey: “Let Me Be Frank”

Colleen Ballinger: “addressing everything”

Jenna Marbles: “Jenna Marbles Apology”

Shane Dawson: “Taking Accountability”

Try Guys: “what happened.”

Colleen Ballinger: “hi.”

“Image repair discourse and crisis communication” by William L. Benoit

“The Youtube Apology” by Gabriella Karlsson

TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com

Commercial: “An Apology Song” by Richard Milhous Nixon

Files

Comments

BrianAlflordIsGoodActually

i just can't believe you guys would do what you did in the first place. you really thought you could get away with all sounding the exact same, thus requiring people to go on the worst of all possible worlds youtube channel and watch three high-quality, highly informative and greatly enjoyable video essays to be able to tell you apart? for shame. for shame!!

No one said you have to live on Bob.

The rare non-ladscast denouncements devolve into a single man saying 3 different names claiming to be 3 podcasters. Sad really 😞

No one said you have to live on Bob.

But legitimately as someone who at first thought you sounded similar (except Josh) and now knows your voices as well as a dog knows its owner's that opening gave me life. Bless you boys.

Hazymarmot

The metaphor of "the toxic gossip train" just doesn't track. Also AJ I need more Nixon ukulele songs.

misterr

Great episode. Very funny and insightful.

BarFly

When we hit the chorus of "Toxic Gossip Train" my jaw hit my fucking desk.

Breathplay

the kevin spacey audio sounds ALARMINGLY like a video you'd find on a range of other websites with the tag "pov"

TalkGibberish

I'm glad that you: Brian, Josh, and A.J. of the Worst Of All Possible Worlds Podcast, could make quality content for people like me: TalkGibberish.

Bryan Moore

I saw the runtime and the episode subject and did the Vince McMahon falling over meme

Lastmanonearth01

I resubscribed for this Ep.... Id, love if you guys made more pods about internet culture.

BrianAlflordIsGoodActually

i know what youre talking about but for some reason i can only mentally visualize walter white falling over

Bryan Moore

The emotional yin to that gif’s yang, in a way

Brandon Chinn

I didnt know until this episode that it was 3 different people

Jimmy McMillan

I never realized it mattered who is who on this pod. If you're worried about keeping track of which one's Catholic, which one has an illness or disability that they mention but don't go into specifics, or which one works at an escape room, just stop it. It doesn't matter. I think it's AJ for all three

Joshua G

There are only two things I can't stand in this world: people intolerant of other people's culture and the Dutch. Fuck you too, other Josh

Breathplay

The second half of this ep especially had me thinking to the sort of purposefully anti-apology videos from Contrapoints and Lindsay Ellis from that 20/21 period - definitely both videos address a different kind of shaming by a different scale of audience than the material y'all covered, but I find it very interesting to consider both videos in light of your perspectives. Both Contra and Ellis had both previously themselves made content dissecting internet celebrity and parasociality and youtube apologies, which adds an even further layer of reflexivity; and both specifically pick at some of the assumptions underlying the apology video, particularly unpacking the language of "harm" or "offense" that the videos we heard in the ep hinge on but never really look too hard at. Ellis in particular kind of squirms against and partially denies both the parasocial friendship amends and the image repair - I remember at the time being so struck by the solipsistic nature of that one video's production compared to her usual output. As Brian says "convincing someone you're sincere isn't about being sincere," which is both the strength and the achilles heel of both the videos - whatever may be said of the circumstances of Contra and Ellis, I find both videos effective in their way but in the moment both seemed to make their situations worse.

Elaine Åhlfeldt

When I saw the episode title, I feared what was obviously going to be the theme of the interstitial bit. Then in the lead-in when A.J. unveiled the specific spin he was going to do, that upgraded to sheer dread. But then it was exactly long enough to be funny without overstaying its' welcome, and I made an audible sigh of relief

Rosey Armstrong

Y'all are unlocking so many memories of what was funny to watch in college. I haven't thought about Miranda Sings or Jenna Marbles for like over 10 years 😬😅 (also pls pls forgive me for my choices I was absolutely media illiterate and went to a small conservative Christian school). Did I apologize right? My choices definitely weren't my fault at all

The Cube of Orbus

Can someone do a Cartman AI cover of 'Toxic Gossip Train'?

Wilko

I believe that social media has decreased peoples ability to deal with opposing views, just how life in relative comfort or rather, being shielded from discomfort is basically eroding our resiliance, making us ill equipped to face the hardship that the world has in store for all of us. So I have to disagree with J. Marbles that nobody should ever be offended. I believe in causing as little harm to my fellow life forms as the next guy, but discomfort, getting upset and even taking offense are a necessary part of life that we all have to learn to deal with. They can even be great teachers and sources of inspiration. It would be a sad state of affairs, if art, f.ex. was no longer allowed to make people feel even a bit unconfortable. Secondly, not everyone claiming to be offended by something have to be taken seriously. Maybe they're just being overly dramatic or maybe they deserve being made to feel unconfortable. Like we should make fascists feel uncomfortable as mich as possible, right? And even if we take people's feelings very seriously, there HAS to be a point where we draw a line and say, the effort put in avoiding discomfort to anyone ever is no longer proportionate to the actual harm done. Bending over backwards to avoid anyone ever feeling a tinge of discomfort is not only an impossible standard to set for yourself, to me personally, it's also seems a bit patronizing. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't like to be thought of as a frail little baby, who will break under the slightest bit of pressure. I'd rather feel a bit upset at something you say, rather than being basically lied to, in order to protect my feelings.

n8

TWOAPW slanders Try Guys: I sleep 💤😴🥱 TWOAPW slanders Dave Malloy: (laser eyes)

Simon

“Serving a moderate amount of cunt” might be my new favorite phrase

Jimmy McMillan

San Diego, Michigan, and New Mexico are all equally silly places to be from. Who cares who came from were

Elizabeth Power

I remember the Kevin Spacey one creeped me out when I saw it when it came out, but it’s even creepier than I remember. And hey, I liked house of cards! Now it’s just unfortunate because it only makes me think of him being a creep but I thought it was a good show.

It’s a Lads, Lads, Lads Cast World (British)

Ngl, I’ve been able to discern who was whom on this pod since listening to about 12-15 episodes, but funnily enough there were more than a couple instances of this episode where I heard AJ talking and initially thought it was Brian…

It’s a Lads, Lads, Lads Cast World (British)

Side note: part of why I struggled with working out each person was mostly because to me, Josh sounded like he would be called AJ, Brian sounded like he would be called Josh, and AJ sounded like he would be called something else entirely, but I never worked out what that name would be…

TheMaJessticOne (edited)

Comment edits

2026-09-07 00:00 I can’t believe the name gag got me to sub on patreon
2023-08-15 01:26

Amy Godliman

It’s been over three months but it’s important that you know this…the Waloons are French.

Andrew T. Wilson

It's two months even later and Walloon communities can be found in all of the countries along the North West section of the European mainland coast and also Luxembourg.

Lain of the Wired

just finished this episode and i think im more interested in the metaverse now than i was at the time just cuz i think with regards to AI it feels like the core idea of the internet generally for connecting people was just kinda given up on in silicon valley after the failure of the metaverse.

Harry

Now this is a fucking quality episode

LeechWife

I bought a purple ukulele just to learn how to say my sowwies like a champ.

Tay

"I've never used a racial slur in anger" is almost worse? If it was like "this is just the environment I was raised in and it's impulsive you know, I learned a lot" it could almost be a mitigating factor but saying you've never used it in anger it's like "oh no y'all, I have self control, I never say racist things for impulsive reasons, I do it in a way that's calculated to make money."