Why are the pretty ones always insane?

For most of his career, I’ve been rather apathetic towards John Mayer. I wouldn’t change the radio if his music came on, but I also never went out of my way to find or purchase it. In fact, his greater purpose seemed to be serving as my eye candy (I’m sucker for tattoos) rather than establishing any kind of soulful connection. It was a shallow existence but it’s worked well for us.

And then he went and opened his mouth…

Earlier this month, Playboy published a recent interview with Mr. Mayer. Never one to keep things under wraps (he’s notoriously tweeted and blogged about his many sexual encounters and relationships), Mayer used the pages of Playboy to liken his relationship with Jessica Simpson to a drug addiction and discuss his horrific make-out session with chauvinist blogger, Perez Hilton. While this might not sound too surprising coming from the man who made a name for himself writing a hit song about having sex with Jennifer Love Hewitt, it was Mayer’s brazen use of homophobic and racist epithets that have caused the most controversy and elicited a tearful apology from the singer during one of his performances.

The quotes from the interview that have since become infamous among the progressive blogging communities are those where Mayer described his so-called hood cred as a “n---a pass;” lamented on not being attracted to black women because his penis is “a white supremacist;” and referred to gay men as “f--s.”

Interestingly, the only thing Mayer has apologized for is his use of the n-word. And while that is all well and good, I think his misogynist tendencies, homophobic sentiments, and racist attitudes in bed negate any apology or reconciliation Mayer has offered. Sure, he says he’s sorry for his linguistic choice, but his actions speak louder than words.

Much in the same way female performers are decried for “exploiting” their sexuality and urging young girls to do the same, Mayer should be (and is, to some extent) condemned for propagating sexist and homophobic attitudes. Although his use of the n-word is an egregious offense, I find his unapologetic contempt of women -- especially black women -- to be more disheartening. He seems almost proud of breaking hearts with little regard towards his exes’ feelings. And the fact that he hasn’t been criticized more for writing off sex and/or relationships with black women altogether reflects America’s own internalized racist attitudes.

Racism and homophobia are also apparent in how America has reacted to Mayer’s statements in particular. When Kanye West jumped on stage during Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards, he was persecuted. Granted, West was out of line, but his actions resulted in a self-imposed exile and multiple public apologies. Mayer -- who has, to me, shown a total disregard for those around him -- has only been on the receiving end of a few choice tweets and blog posts (including this one). I haven’t heard of any radio stations boycotting Mayer’s music, or of Mayer cancelling any live shows due to public condemnation. Compared to the crucifixion of Kanye West, the backlash towards Mayer’s interview has been relatively subdued.

Moments like these offer us a chance to reflect on why some issues rile us up more than others. Those of us in the progressive and minority communities find Mayer’s words to be outrageous, but the fact that more people don’t is almost of greater importance. Mayer’s statements and lack of protest underscore how Americans (especially American males) are taught to react when racism, sexism, and homophobia are aired openly and publicly.