Originally Posted by Zaggeron

You did something that nobody could reasonably be expected to find offensive -- the joke was as corny as an old Jonny Carson joke. There was nothing for you to "own up to". A "Sorry I offended you" is appropriate, but you more or less admitted to doing something wrong and inappropriate which you did not.

Just because someone if offended by something we write or say, doesn't mean it was wrong to say it. Maybe you don't even realize it but you were bullied into erroneously admitting you did something wrong.