Amazing Race Apologizes

At the beginning of yesterday's Amazing Race, the show displayed text read by host Phil apologizing for the previous week's show in Hanoi, Vietnam.


I had last written that I thought the criticism was not warranted, but of course I misjudged the situation. (See previous blog post.)

I have to give CBS a lot of credit for doing the apology properly.  They didn't hide it or underplay the apology -- instead put at the beginning of the show and had the host read the text.  It was not too long and it did not try to explain why they did it.  They didn't make the mistake of describing or repeating what was offensive. And most of all, they didn't do the usual fake apology of "sorry if anybody found it offensive".

Instead CBS made a model apology that admitted the error was insensitive, then directly apologized, then made a positive declaration of support.  That is a great apology.

I would bet that CBS had been talking with the American Legion and they had negotiated the wording and placement of the apology.  Today the American Legion National Commander James Koutz accepted the apology, saying he believed the apology was sincere and heartfelt.

The CBS apology read:

"Parts of last Sunday's episode, filmed in Vietnam, were insensitive to a group that is very important to us -- our nation's veterans.

"We want to apologize to veterans -- particularly those who served in Vietnam -- as well as to their families and any viewers who were offended by the broadcast.

All of us here have the most profound respect for the men and women who fight for our country."

Marker at B-52 pond in Hanoi.  The pond was a waypoint on The Amazing Race.