As many of you have heard Michael Phelps the 8 Olympic Gold winning swimmer was caught smoking pot. I am not saying that this action is ok; however the way that he got caught is in my opinion wrong. A picture of him smoking a bong was released to the tabloids. The picture was taken on someone’s cell phone on November 6, 2008. Why did this person wait so long to send in this picture? Were they trying to get the most money that they could? Now that the picture has been released it is all everyone is talking about. You see it on the news, on TV specials, and in tabloids.
This photo has changed the role model and American hero to someone to be mocked and trashed. As a role model for so many it is true that he should have known that anything he does could be exposed to the world. However, we have to look at the fact that he is a 23 year old college student. Mistakes can happen; I know I have made mistakes that I wish I could take back. I just don’t think every little thing needs to be shown to the public just because they are famous. I am sick of shows about celebrity rehab and seeing actors all over the tabloids drunk or getting arrested. These things happen to regular people every day, but because these people are famous we have to hear and see it.
Is it right for us to get our entertainment out of their mistakes? Is it right for photographers and amateurs to make millions of dollars off of the mistakes of others? One photo can ruin the entire public view of a person. In the case of Michael Phelps I still think he is an American hero. His accomplishments at the 2008 summer Olympics do not get erased because of a photo someone took at a college party and then waited 4 months to get it spread all over the world. It makes me sad that we have to do this to the people that children all over the world look up to. Are we setting good examples ourselves?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I admire the passion and emotion you displayed over this issue. It is rare for me to find someone that feels the same way I do about the life and times of celebrities.
ReplyDeleteI have never been a reality TV show watcher or a tabloid reader. I feel that the business of celebrities is just that: their business. How insecure are we in our own lives that we have to read about the troubles they have to feel better about ourselves? And for those people who say the public has a right to know…think of that next time you do something stupid. I bet your perceptions change a little when you apply those rules to your own life, don’t they?
All of these factors work together to create what I would consider a PR reps nightmare. How hard must it be to defend America’s newest Golden Boy when the evidence to the contrary is right there in black and white? Definitely not a job that I envy anyone for having!
I agree that it is blown out of proportion. He is a college student and not that it is okay, it is common and everyone knows it.
ReplyDeleteHowever, Phelps is a role-model and has set himself up to be just that. He has made a lot of money on endorsements that rely on that image. So to be so dumb as to do this at a party where anyone could get a picture of him was really really stupid.
Yes, the person who did it is a low character, but Phelps himself should know that his celebrity brings this kind of scrutiny and attention. I guess he learned the hard way he has to be more careful.
I too think that it was kind of a suspicious way to get him in trouble. I obviously do not agree with his choices, but I am sure when he did that he wasn't thinking that he was in any position to have his picture taken and spread all over the news. But he also has to realize that he is a superstar and millions of people look up to him because of his accomplishments. Because of all this he has to realize he is at all times being watched and anything he does has the potential to get out to the public. I feel sorry for him because I know he didn't want to have this effect on himself or his fans when this happened, but he really should know the consequences.
ReplyDeleteI think it is ok for the public to be informed of these kinda things are happening and are going to happen. You will never get them to stop because people want to hear drama. Drama caused money and goes a long ways in all directions. The thing that makes me mad is that these clebs are not getting punished for it. They get a slap on the hand because they are famous. I think that is wrong. When i got caught for a DUI i didnt get it lowered to a careless driving because i was famous, I think he is only going to get a slap on the hand again and will screw up somewhere again. If we dont punish them like we should they will keep doing it because they know they can get away with it.
ReplyDeletePhelps mistake is a PR nightmare! I don't know if it's really the publics business to know all that happens to their figures but then again, I'm not sure if they should be kept in the dark. I thnk that we live off of others drama...something to keep us entertained and busy; unfortunately. Oh well, we've got to talk to our dentists, hair dressers, and beauticians about something.
ReplyDeleteWhat Phelps did was wrong. The way he was caught I feel is more of his own fault. This has been a huge topic in my Issues and Trends class for education. We talk a lot about facebook and what future employers can find out about you before you even interview. People need to be careful of what they are doing when there are people around that you dont even know. There are many different things that have happened before of photos people have posted on the social networks out there.
ReplyDeleteI am a coach at the local high school and we just finished dealing with an issue with some athletes and pictures they posted as well too. They have had to pay some heavy consequences because of it as well. If I could give any advice to anyone I would say you need to be careful of what you are doing because you never know who is out there watching you and who might take a picture you dont know about.
I wonder are we missing the real message here. There has been a lot of speculation on the person who took the picture and the apology he sent after the photo was released, yet what about the fact that what he was doing was illegal?
ReplyDeleteAs a role model he was at a party and got high his actions showed all those people in attendance that this was an acceptable behavior. Where are the shock / outrage about this behavior? As a parent is this the person I want my children to emulate? Perhaps not.
As a PR person I would advise Michael to lay low for a while till the next big news story breaks and his is almost forgotten. Concentrate on whether there will be any charges pressed from his actions and develop a PR campaign that would help him regain his shinny boy-next-door image.