Some Screw-ups Last Longer Than Others

Hawaii football coach Greg McMackin made big news this week – and not the kind he wanted.

McMackin was suspended for 30 days without pay by the University of Hawaii for insensitive remarks about Notre Dame’s football team – using a slur for homosexuals — during the WAC preseason football meetings.

(http://www.deseretnews.com/article/content/mobile/705320493/Hawaii-coach-gets-suspended.html)

It’s the sort of mistake that could follow him for a lifetime.

Shaking an image is tough these days. People don’t readily forget. Look at Michael Richards, the “Seinfeld” star who made racial remarks several times at a comedy club in 2006. He hasn’t been heard from since, though he is scheduled to appear with other former cast members on an episode of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” this fall.

Certain embarrassing/offensive things seem to get forgiven fairly quickly – sexual indiscretions, drugs, alcohol, some kids of arrests, etc. But racial and sexual orientation slurs don’t go away as easily. Thus, Richards has been out of the loop and his career put on hold. McMackin kept his job, but he’ll have a tough time finding another one if he ever loses his spot in Hawaii. One more slip in Hawaii and he’ll be gone, too.

Curiously, both Richards and McMackin claimed they were going for laughs. Richards, who in the 2006 incident, said afterward he was trying to be outrageous by throwing back insults at hecklers. Didn’t work. McMackin said he was trying to make a joke and it didn’t fly. Obviously.

Exactly what is unforgivable is debatable. But one thing seems certain: multiple violations bring down a lot of wrath. Richards was said to have repeated his racial epithet six times. McMackin reportedly used his slur three times while he was at the podium.

A good rule of thumb is to never use such material for laughs. It’s not funny and it’s not worth it.

And never compound the problem by repeating it.