"We're not watching someone explain their wrong, we're watching them perpetrate it."
On April 5th, 2016, ESPN television aired an interview with Greg Hardy, an NFL player attempting to redeem his public image following a violent incident with his girlfriend. The spot was familiar, the stage set for Redemptive Interview 101. The interviewer prods the interviewee, gets him to admit wrongdoing and show contrition, then the audience absolves him tacitly and puts the matter to rest. Dozens of celebrities have negotiated it successfully, yesterday's villains becoming today's legends.
Hardy's interview drew scrutiny because he deviated from the script, refusing to admit wrongdoing.