#SorryNotSorry: the evolution of Chrissy Teigen and the art of the apology on ‘I’m Sorry’
People love a public apology. Or rather, the more radical route of #SorryNotSorry, walking a tightrope that the public has trouble differentiating as sincerity or last-ditch efforts for damage control. We’ve seen countless carefully-crafted celeb apologies written in an iPhone’s Notes app, marked by a screenshot, and posted on social media.
Lemonada’s podcast “I’m Sorry” is a comedic exploration of the art of apologizing, cancel culture, and problematic behavior that continues for celebrities and regular civilians, whose issues often surface from old Twitter feeds and the like. Owning up to mistakes and being forgiven for an apology can be tricky territory. On this podcast, hosts comedian/improviser/producer Hoja Lopez, comedian/writer Mohanad Elshieky, and founder of The Talk of Shame Kiki Monique want to unpack apologies. And why when apologies happen, people are so quick to judge their methods and dissect words.
In this series, the hosts will describe celebrity examples of remorse and speak from their own experiences. Hoja is interested in saying sorry, accepting apologies, and wants to explore what the next steps are after apologizing. The hosts will see what consequences the misstep had for the celeb, and if/how the apology method worked for the offending parties.
Hoja shared that when she was growing up, she got in a ton of trouble and used to issue insincere apologies. She’s stoked for this show because she also, even now, apologizes for things that aren’t her fault. Kiki says she hasn’t been apologized to enough, and feels like she needs more apologies from others. Mohanad is in the middle. He said he’s very careful, and finds himself deleting Tweets that aren’t even offensive, to stay out any possibility for being boiled in hot water. Mohanad explained he’s learning to own up to his words, and realizes you’re not going to get cancelled every day. But for celebs, the more content that’s released, the more opportunities arise to dig up dirt, fuel cancellations, and create potential problems.
The hosts share that in school, life skills – like how to properly apologize – aren’t taught. Hoja said Chrissy Teigen would become the textbook standard of the public apology, as the first episode is all about the sharp-tongued, clap-back queen. Hoja wanted to learn more about her, specifically since she admired Chrissy’s ability to go head-to-head in a moment’s notice. This episode is half biography on Chrissy’s life, half hot-takes on what the hosts think about Chrissy. Chrissy was born in Utah, her family moved to Washington, and her parents opened up a tavern. Then, her family moved to California, and Chrissy worked at a surf shop in Huntington Beach. At 18, she was scouted by a photographer.
Chrissy scored gigs and modeled for years. She appeared on Deal or No Deal as a briefcase girl which happened to be at the exact same time Megan Markle was also on the show. Chrissy’s career catapulted after she posed for Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue in 2010. In several interviews, Chrissy has called out the modeling industry’s ecosystem, where she was constantly getting weighed and scrutinized. Chrissy got thrown off of jobs for her size and faced a ton of rejection.
Chrissy has a multi-hyphenate career — she went on to design clothing lines and host TV shows like cooking shows and Lip Sync Battle. Chrissy is known for her love of food and started a blog which is endorsed by fellow-foodie, Hoja. Chrissy has written several cookbooks. Hoja cooks often, and said some of her highlights include her miso carbonara recipe.
The hosts also briefly discuss Chrissy’s relationship with musician John Legend.
Chrissy has had online spats, gaffes, and became the unofficial mayor of Twitter. She got into tweeting wars with Trump when he went after her and John. Courtney Stodden said Chrissy bullied them online when married to Doug Hutchinson, and publicly apologized, admitting to cyberbullying. Chrissy also bullied reality TV star Farrah Abraham and designer Michael Black. Chrissy denied Michael’s claim.
When called out for her behavior, Chrissy apologizes using every available format: Tweets, articles, Notes app screenshots, etc. The episode unpacks which of these were most successful. The hosts also talk about mass-deletion apps for Twitter and what the optimal amount of Tweeting should be per day (they decided on no more than 3 times), and what is classified as social media addiction.
Chrissy is still active on social media and uses her platform to speak about things that matter to her. But are her actions and advocations forgivable enough to still be on Team Teigen? Are some celebrities too rich to cancel? The hosts will explore more about Chrissy on the second episode.
“I’m Sorry” is a fun listen since the comedic hosts have so much to share, and make jokes throughout the episodes. Need help apologizing? Listeners are invited to write into the show. New episodes will soon be released.
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