You know, I hate it when people don’t apologise when they say something stupid and insulting. NYDailyNews.com has a story about Burger King’s CEO, Bernando Hees, where he recalled his days working on an MBA in the UK:

The food is terrible and the women are not very attractive. Here in Chicago, the food is good and you are known for your good-looking women.

Unsurprisingly, the remark has pissed off a lot of people. Since Burger King’s food isn’t exactly of a high quality, Hees has been called a hypocrite; and he’s vexed women—Charli Fritzner, a women’s campaigns officer from the university where Hees studied, stated: “It doesn’t make Burger King an attractive employer for women.”

Inevitably and sadly, a half-hearted backtrack followed from a Burger King spokesperson:

Mr. Hees apologizes if his comment has offended anyone. It… was intended as a humorous anecdote to connect with his audience.

Two points there. First, being an arsehole isn’t excused if you’re making what you consider a humorous anecdote to connect with your audience, but it’s doubly stupid if you’re the CEO of a global fast-food chain. Secondly, the weaselly nature of the ‘apology’ is so greasy that it would be suitable for a politician. Don’t say you apologise if your comment has offended anyone—that’s a get-out. Apologise for any offence your comment caused. (There is a difference in the wording there, albeit a subtle one.) Better: just apologise succinctly: “I’m sorry. What I said was wrong”.