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Entertainment

Eligijus Sinkunas

“Dear Virgin”: 51 Times People Attempted To Apologize But Came Up With Comedy Gold

There are probably few people on the Internet who haven't heard the "Sorry guy," Jonatanas, who went viral for apologizing, sing: "You gotta go and get – eh, sorry" on his local X Factor show. Ironically, what was a botched talent show performance also became an apology for how abysmal it was, as "Sorry" seemed to be the only lyric he could recall.

But saying "Sorry" isn't the only way someone can apologize. As Jonatanas demonstrated, you can throw in some funky dance moves into your apology as well. Other people, however, go for the good ol' fashioned method: apology notes. Bored Panda has collected the most unhinged and hilarious apology notes we could find online and presents the funniest to you below!

#1 I Made A Mad Magazine Text Fold-In For A Friend Who Was Having Issues With Depression. It Was One Of The Few Things That Cheered Him Up

#2 Rather Ironic

#3 An Irish Apology

Saying "sorry" can be hard. You have to humble yourself before the other person and admit you did something wrong. However, apologizing is also undeniably effective. Hearing someone say "sorry" and seeing them admit their mistakes can be cathartic and make it that much easier to forgive people.

Although for some people, looking the person in the face as they hear "sorry" might be a prerequisite for a good apology, sometimes written apologies are more effective than verbal ones. A 2022 study found that people prefer to get a written apology for "integrity-based trust violations," like infidelity, covering up something, or sharing a secret.

#4 This Restaurant In Atlanta Expertly Articulates The "No Smoking" Message In The Best Way Possible

#5 Capricorns Unite

#6 Neighbors

However, in some cases, people prefer to hear "sorry" face to face. The researchers found that verbal apologies are more effective against "competency-based trust violations." For example, when missing a deadline at work, bosses would much rather hear their employee say "sorry" in person.

A good example of competency-based trust violations in relationships can be forgetting anniversaries, forgetting to book accommodation for a group trip when you were the designated one to do it, or even escalating arguments because you can't handle criticism. "When trust violation involves competence, trust is better repaired by responding with a verbal apology rather than a written one," the researchers concluded.

#7 Abject Apologies

#8 Apologies For The Late Payment, Virgin

#9 10/10 Highly Recommended!

In the end, whether the apology is written or verbal, what matters most is the act itself. A 2020 study explored how apologies affect people psychophysiologically. It found that apologies can increase empathy, forgiveness, gratitude, and other positive emotions. The study also observed that apologies can have a calming effect on us: they calm people's heart rates, reduce cardiac stress, and relax muscle activity under people's eyes.

#10 Read It Before You Print

#11 My Son Accidentally Pulled The Towel Hook Out Of The Wall And He Made Me This Fabulous Apology Note

#12 A Letter That I Wrote To My Brother When We Were Little

Today, we're told that our attention spans are fried and we can't concentrate for longer than 30 seconds. But when it comes to apologies, this couldn't be further from the truth. It turns out that people prefer longer apologies than short ones. So, a simple "sorry" might seem insincere, whereas a long and wordy letter is perceived as genuine.

#13 Asked My Daughter To Write An Apology Letter

#14 Had To Write An Apology Note For My Roommate

#15 Apologies Accepted!

A 2025 study, published in the British Journal of Psychology, explored how people deem longer apologies more apologetic. In essence, people think that others are more genuine when they spend more time thinking about, crafting, and delivering their apologies. "An apology may appear more genuine if it costs someone more to say it – and that can mean the time taken to say or type long words," the author of the study, Dr. Shiri Lev-Ari, told The Guardian.

#16 Came Home To This Message From The Lil Lady

#17 My Friend Is A 3rd Grade Teacher. He Made A Student Write An Apology Letter To Another Student. Sounds Like Some Fightin' Words

#18 So Apparently In Canada We Are Apologizing For Soap Now

If you've ever been cautious of apologizing too much or too often, don't sweat it – those who say "sorry" often are seen as warmer, more approachable people. According to a 2023 study, people see frequent apologizers as more communal and pleasant. However, if the apologies are very frequent and of low quality, people tend to see such individuals as less confident, indecisive, and lacking authority.

#19 I Am Not Convinced That Is A Real Word

#20 This Apology Note From My Husband

#21 My 4 Year Old’s “Sorry Letter” To Another Boy In Her Class. Tried Not To Laugh As She Asked Me To Write Those Words

The words people use in their apologies matter, too. It matters what words you use depending on whether you're a man or a woman. Research shows that apologies are more effective when we go against gender stereotypes. "We found that women delivering masculine-style apologies benefited because they were seen as displaying higher levels of assertiveness and enhancing their perceived competence," the co-author of a 2023 study, Sarah Doyle, explained.

#22 Found Letter

Found on a side table while cleaning out a house whose elderly owner had passed (assuming its who the letter is for). I saved this from being tossed.

#23 Sorry Kids

#24 Someone Left A Note Saying They're Sorry They Hit My Car But There's No Dents Or Scratch Anywhere At All

Spent a good 5 minutes looking for any damage. Pretty sure someone was watching me from a distance walking around my car and looking so confused.

Similarly, when men used more "feminine" language in their apologies, they were more likely to be perceived positively, too. "The men delivering apologies with more stereotypically feminine language were seen as having greater interpersonal sensitivity that enhanced their perceived benevolence or warmth," Doyle added.

#25 Found Stuck To An Electrical Box

#26 Ummmm. What Is That Word?

#27 Sounds Like Alex Knows His Worth

Doyle and her colleagues looked at celebrities' apologies on X (formerly Twitter). The researchers noticed that women especially (like Lizzo, Kendra Wilkinson) benefited in the eyes of the platform users when they used assertive, "agentic" language. A one point increase in such language would result in an average of more than 17,000 additional "likes."

"It's not just about whether people should apologize more or less, but how we can construct apologies differently," Doyle believes. "It's what you include in that apology that's really going to matter."

#28 A Letter I Wrote To My Middle School Principal After I Farted In The Middle Of His Speech

#29 I Found This Apology Note In The Waiting Room Of A New York Car Wash

#30 Interior Of An Apology Card I Made For My Dad When At Seven Years Old

What do you think of these apologies, Pandas? Have any of them tickled your heart or your funny bone? What do you think is the best way to apologize? Let us know your thoughts in the comments! And if you're in the mood for even more hilarious apology notes, be sure to check out some right here!