After being lambasted by the Internet for asking Bill Cosby rape accuser Joan Tarshis if she knew that "there are ways not to perform oral sex if you didn't want to do it," Don Lemon took a few moments on Wednesday's edition of CNN Newsroom to apologize for his comments.
Except, instead of apologizing for suggesting that sexual assault victims should just stop their sexual assaults from happening if they don't want to be sexually assaulted, Lemon did that thing people often do when they try to apologize for inadvertently illustrating the prevalence of rape culture, but don't actually apologize for anything. At the beginning of the broadcast, the CNN host shared his regrets for offending anyone with his remarks, but not for making them:
A word about my interview last night with Cosby accuser Joan Tarshis: As I am a victim myself, I would never want to suggest that any victim could have prevented a rape. If my question to her struck anyone as insensitive, I am sorry, as that was certainly not my intention.
Guess that clears that up then.
Over at Jezebel, Kara Brown has a concise example of what a real apology might have looked like:
I'm deeply sorry for suggesting that Joan Tarshis was at all responsible for preventing her sexual assault. I was wrong, I regret what I said and I'm now going to go take some time to figure out why I can't stop saying stupid shit on live television.
Maybe Lemon will take note for the next time he inadvertently makes "insensitive" comments. Or, maybe he just won't make insensitive comments at all!
Watch Lemon's non-apology, via Raw Story, below:
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