Thanks to social media, even the most minor of mishaps can find themselves on the receiving end of intense controversy.
And no matter the intent, when that mishap involves saying “I hate this country,” one surely must anticipate scrutiny on the web.
Such has been the case for “The Voice” judge Adam Levine, who muttered the controversial line under his breath after learning that his powerhouse contestants Judith Hill and Sarah Simmons were both eliminated Tuesday night.
For most observers, the line was likely written off as a product of frustration rather than even the slightest hint of anti-Americanism. But given the power of the social web, those who did take umbrage with the comment turned it into a major topic of discussion Wednesday.
Levine initially the mocked the controversy with a series of Twitter posts. The posts–cut-and-paste from a dictionary–defined “joke,” “humorless,” “lighthearted” and “misunderstand,” presumably aimed at the humorless people guilty of misunderstand[ing] the lighthearted joke.
In a later statement, however, Levine focused more on the frustration component than the joke component, noting via an NBC release, “I obviously love my country very much and my comments last night were made purely out of frustration.
“Being a part of The Voice, I am passionately invested in my team and want to see my artists succeed. Last night’s elimination of Judith and Sarah was confusing and downright emotional for me and my comments were made based on my personal dissatisfaction with the results. I am very connected to my artists and know they have long careers ahead, regardless of their outcome on the show.”
