Gavin Goes to Rehab
Why does that sound like the title of a fucked up children’s book? And is rehab the answer to everything these days?
Does anyone really believe that Isaiah Washington is sorry for calling T.R. Knight a “faggot†because he went to counseling? Is anyone really going to believe that San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is sorry for sleeping with his now ex-campaign manager’s wife because he’s decided to seek treatment for alcohol use? I guess he had to do something. But what does his sex life have to do with his mayoral responsibilities?
It’s all about damage control.
Most crisis management/PR types have a set formula that goes like this: a public apology, withdraw from the public eye for a period (or at least the paparazzi), rehab (increasingly popular) and then the mea culpa interview with Larry King, Oprah or Diane Sawyer.
Real remorse and a change in behavior can only be measured by actions over time. We let our celebrities off so much easier than our citizens.