Kevin Hart’s awkward Ellen appearance proves the guy just doesn’t get it

Kevin Hart had a dream to host the Oscars. A dream that was dashed by people using his own homophobic words against him, dredging through his past to dig up old tweets that showed a more immature, less refined comedian who hadn’t yet become a household name and a four-quadrant marketable brand.

After the controversy Hard decided he didn’t want to host the Oscars and intelligently stepped aside to protect his entertainment empire instead of continuing to take a beating on social media from people who decided his apology wasn’t quite sincere enough.

His appearance on Ellen today was the kind of baffling public appearance that makes you wonder if anyone reviewed what he was going to say prior to being showered with praise. After Ellen’s ringing endorsement, Hart was finally able to share his thoughts on the controversy… and it was strange.

First up, he decided to spend a lot of time discussing the viciousness of the attack itself. Portraying himself as the victim of this scenario. He seethed with anger as he talked about ‘the attack’ perpetrated by people who pretty much just re-posted things he had said a decade earlier. The raw anger on display showed hints of Kanye & Trump; people who often miss the intent of an attack and instead focus on the incredulity that anyone would dare to call him into question.

Apparently we were supposed to feel sorry for Kevin Hart and the hundreds of people that financially benefit from his existence. Those who would have suffered greatly if Hart’s career had been impacted by a scandal of his own creation.

He was also quick to continue his trend of passing the whole affair off as ‘silly’, saying that he had made over 40,000 tweets and that his attackers pick out a handful to try and present him in a negative light. Especially after Ellen told him he no longer needed to apologize and had already fulfilled his conciliatory obligations.

In a very public forum Kevin Hart showed how little he understands the concept of a public apology and how to silence his critics. Rather than use Ellen’s show to remind everyone how sorry he was for his immature and thoughtless past, he decided to portray himself as a victim and lash out at ‘the haters’ who threatened his livelihood.

Ellen’s complicit commitment to defending Hart seemed equally strange given the actual words coming out of his mouth. In theory, I agree with the idea that everyone deserves forgiveness and that people’s careers shouldn’t be decimated because of a small number of poorly constructed or immature communications. People can grow, learn and change. They should be afforded that opportunity. The pitchfork and torch mentality… the crucifixion culture of social media needs to end.

However, it would be an easier message to endorse if the person benefiting from this leverage didn’t make off-putting public appearances making statements portraying himself as the victim.