We all make mistakes and most of us have the ability to own up and apologise, but for influencer and podcaster Jackie O, sorry isn’t an option.
In a recent episode of their podcast The Morning Toast, Jackie Oshry and her sister Claudia Oshry of @GirlWithNoJob discussed going to the movies and how they now feel safer from mass shootings because of “the elevation of the movie theatre experience.”
“You know when you’re in a movie theatre in America, like you’re always looking over your shoulder – we’ve actually left movie theatres,” Claudia said.
“Yes, I don’t feel that way anymore ever since the elevation of the movie theatre experience with iPic and some of the nicer movie theatres,” Jackie said. “No offence, this is going to sound awful, but if you’re going to shoot up a movie theatre, it’s not going to be the most expensive one.”
When Claudia talks about going to “a standard movie theatre,” Jackie interrupts and says, “Oh, that I can’t do.” Claudia goes on to say that because they had “crossed the border” into Vancouver to go to the theatre, it felt “normal” and was “so relaxing.”
Jackie’s comments quickly attracted major backlash online, with many demanding an apology from her.
The podcaster attempted to clarify her comments about cinema shootings, writing in a Facebook comment, “Overall, I was just saying I’ve been feeling safer in movie theatres…because why would a shooter pay $20 for a movie when they can pay $15. That’s it.”
While she also added in the comment that she was “sorry to anyone who was hurt by what I said,” she also told Buzzfeed News she won’t be apologising because “people are making it so much more than it is.”
In another podcast episode, Jackie said, “yesterday I offended some people on this show about movie theatres. There was a lot of talk about it. People really want me to apologise, and I’ve thought about this…and I’m not going to apologise for what I said, because people are making it so much more than it is. And I don’t want to condone doing that.”
It’s not the first time Jackie O and her sister have found themselves in the midst of an Internet controversy. Last year, it became public knowledge that they were the daughters of prominent anti-Islam activist and Trump supporter, Pamela Geller. Claudia was forced to release a statement explaining “our views are separate from our mother’s.”
Jackie has made an effort to explain her comments about cinema shootings but sadly, they come across pretty tone deaf. Hopefully this is just another lesson learned for the sisters.