Chris Pratt has taken to Facebook to prepare his fans for the offensive comments he’s sure he’ll be making on the Jurassic World press tour.
The Internet is a dangerous place for all of us. One ill-phrased joke, and you’re a social media pariah; one Facebook comment made in 2009 could come back to bite you at any time (so go back and clean your feeds, folks).
When you’re a public figure, of course, every little word you say is taken and scrutinized, meaning is inferred, and suddenly, public opinion has turned on a dime.
We were all reminded of this last month during the Avengers: Age of Ultron press tour, when Jeremy Renner and Chris Evans joked about their co-star Scarlett Johansson’s character being a “slut,” and found themselves in the middle of a heated Internet morality debate.
Related: Chris Evans and Jeremy Renner apologize for calling Black Widow a “slut” in Age of Ultron interview
While we can all agree that being a Hollywood actor is a full-time job (and the pay certainly reflects this), we also have to remember that actors are human beings, who have not risen to fame due to how they present their own personalities.
And yet, due to the nature of the industry, a part an actor’s job is to represent the movie studios publicly. Thus, they’re always treading the fine line between being entertaining and being inappropriate.
Chris Pratt, whose star has only really risen over the past few years, is well aware of the scrutiny he’s currently placed under. Being so universally loved, he probably knows all too well that it’s only a matter of time before the adoring public turns on him.
That’s why he took to Facebook to write a cautionary note to his fans, in anticipation of the forthcoming Jurassic World press tour, warning them that he may very well say something that’ll offend someone:
I want to make a heartfelt apology for whatever it is I end up accidentally saying during the forthcoming #JurassicWorld press tour. I hope you understand it was never my intention to offend anyone and I am truly sorry. I swear. I’m the nicest guy in the world. And I fully regret what I (accidentally will have) said in (the upcoming foreign and domestic) interview(s).
I am not in the business of making excuses. I am just dumb. Plain and simple. I try. I REALLY try! When I do (potentially) commit the offensive act for which I am now (pre) apologizing you must understand I (will likely have been) tired and exhausted when I (potentially) said that thing I (will have had) said that (will have had) crossed the line. Those rooms can get stuffy and the hardworking crews putting these junkets together need some entertainment! (Likely) that is who I was trying to crack up when I (will have had) made that tasteless and unprofessional comment. Trust me. I know you can’t say that anymore. In fact in my opinion it was never right to say the thing I definitely don’t want to but probably will have said. To those I (will have) offended please understand how truly sorry I already am. I am fully aware that the subject matter of my imminent forthcoming mistake, a blunder (possibly to be) dubbed “JurassicGate” is (most likely) in no way a laughing matter. To those I (will likely have had) offended rest assured I will do everything in my power to make sure this doesn’t happen (again).
In a separate post, Pratt also cautions that fans maybe enjoy his interviews in moderation:
Needless to say you will be seeing A LOT of me in the press in the next few weeks as I circle the globe promoting the movie in different markets around the world. With social media the way it is and click bait marketing online you will have a front row seat to all of the promotional action if you so chose. There will be a lot. Dare I say too much if you actually take the time to watch it all!? I suggest you don’t. But that’s up to you.
The tongue-in-cheek pre-apology also serves to remind overzealous fans that even though it’s easy to be offended or to feel let down by your idols, sometimes we do take things way too seriously on the Internet.
Related: Chris Pratt sets the record straight on Ghostbusters and Indiana Jones rumors
Whether or not you agree with Pratt’s stance on this issue (we are, after all, living in an age where attitudes towards some social issues are actively being combatted), it’s nice to see him so self-aware and honest.
We’ve already seen Pratt do some pretty fun Jurassic World promo segments, and imagine that there are a lot more theatrics planned for the press tour. Stay tuned…