“I went
from prison, living in sin and death and on the verge of spending eternity, you
know, separated from God, to getting into a prison cell and getting set free by
the power of his love and his grace and his mercy and forgiveness.” - Christian
Hosoi
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At a time when skate culture needed
him most, Christian Hosoi couldn’t be there, but that doesn’t seem to mean he
didn’t save the sport. When he was arrested for drug trafficking in 2000, his
future wife Jennifer turned Hosoi’s life of partying into a celebration of the
Lord. Since his early release in 2004, he has become a pastor and speaks the
destructive tale of his past around the country. Faith saved Hosoi from not
only himself but also the negative image his arrest projected onto the public. Had
Hosoi not taken corrective action and bolstered the grace of God, perhaps
society wouldn’t have been so forgiving.
It’s safe
to say that in finding the Lord, Hosoi found his method of self-defense: corrective action. Had he not obtained
his high school diploma while in prison, became ordained as assistant pastor,
and continued his skateboarding career after prison, then he would not have
salvaged as much of his image as he did. Taking the steps to graduate high
school and becoming a pastor supported Hosoi as sincerely willing to change in
a large social context. By continuing to
skateboard, society could add to his willingness to change a keeping of “good”
from his past, and hypothetically a loss of the “bad.” The immediate actions
Hosoi took after his arrest made his reconciliation with society and himself
easier, because they supported his apology as sincere.
If taking corrective action wasn’t
enough to salvage his public image, than Hosoi’s bolstering of a new found faith certainly projected his sincerity. “That’s
the miracle work of God…that he can take a guy like me, a pro skater who became
a drug addict, and turn his life around,” said Hosoi. He made others like this
remark, and the fact that he used them so frequently in public and video
appearances strengthened his apology as sincere, because he acknowledges his
mistakes in opposition to the positive changes his life made after them. He did
not evade responsibility nor reduce offensiveness for his crime, and if he had,
his apology would have seemed less sincere. By setting his arrest and drug
addiction as the “bottom”, Hosoi creates a situation where he can only go “up,”
and this bolstering helps reinstate sincerity in Hosoi’s apology.
Listen, Hosoi fans find deep moral connection
to his life story, from the top to the bottom and back up, and many respect his
talent and perseverance The proceedings after his arrest, the lowest point
of his life, gave Hosoi credibility and trust within the eyes of the public
because he took corrective action and bolstered the word of the Lord.
I feel like athletes and celebrities think they can get away with what ever they want so they don't really think about their actions. Then they realize they can hurt their image and what their fans think of them then they try and fix it. They apologize just to make themselves popular again and think everything should be okay.
ReplyDeleteI agree Virginia, it is definitely hard for celebrities to realize that their actions have consequences. But, every one makes mistakes, and that is why there is a whole chapter in the book on apologia. Some celebs just apologize and keep doing what they're doing without any remorse, but others, like Hosoi, actually come to terms with their actions and try to fix them for the better, sincerely, which is what saves their image and really says something about that individual's identity.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a great example of an effective apologia by an athlete to restore their image. Like you said, all people make mistakes, and I think it's important to not only recognize athletes who have overcome their troubles, but have learned from them and made improvements to their lives. The story of a successful person who hits rock bottom, then surges back, can provide inspiration for people going through similar tribulations.
ReplyDeleteThis is an awesome example of an apology. If it weren't for skating I might not be living the positive life I am now. I don't understand why its looked at as such a negative thing. Instead of being out causing trouble or doing drugs we're being active and having fun.
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