MICHAEL PHELPS is a disappointment. Forget the 16 Olympic medals he has won over his career or the record-breaking eight gold medals he won in the 2008 Olympics alone. No, he has disappointed us all with one picture of him hitting a bong.
Well, to be fair, that is not entirely the case. But that is certainly what the media would like you to believe about Phelps right now. News outlets from around the country are talking about Phelps and his “doomed” future, gleefully reporting the backlash against him from the leaked photo.
USA Swimming has released a statement expressing their disappointment with the swimmer and has suspended him for three months. Kellogg’s has announced that they will not renew his endorsement contract, and Subway has expressed doubt about his future with their endorsement as well. All of these reports seem to show that everyone is disappointed with Phelps.
But the fact of the matter is that the media is far more concerned with his supposedly disappointing behavior than anyone else. Comments from the public on these news articles show more pity and support for Phelps than disappointment and anger. After all, a 23-year-old smoking weed is not all that surprising or disappointing, and it is time for us all to get over our idealized image of figures in the public eye.
When I first saw the photo of Phelps with the bong, I was not entirely sure it was even him. If not for the big ears, it could have been any college-aged guy with brown hair. I was actually more surprised when he released an apology statement so quickly, since he could have easily ignored the scandal, claimed the man in the photo was not him, or said it was simply photo-shopped. Although there could be many reasons why he admitted guilt (such as more photos that could still be leaked), it was very brave of Phelps to come forward with the hope of moving on.
But unlike USA Swimming or Subway, both of whom used Phelps’ apology as a reason for giving him a second chance and not shunning him altogether, I was more disappointed by his apology than by his behavior. Why should he have to apologize for something that millions of Americans do every single day? Why should he have to apologize for behavior that, whether we like it or not, is commonplace for a lot of 23-year-olds across the country? Why should he have to apologize for doing something that our presidents, our congressmen, our favorite actors and musicians, and even our parents have done? Why do we care so much about something that he did in his private life? Getting caught hitting a bong should not take away from his amazing accomplishments in the pool. Getting caught hitting a bong should simply show that Phelps is human.
Many will argue, however, that Phelps is a role model and that he is held to a higher standard than other 23-year-olds. But in the age of the Internet, digital cameras, phones with cameras, and every other technological device out there, being a squeaky-clean role model is practically impossible. When you are America’s golden boy, it is even harder to maintain a perfect image with individuals like the one who leaked Phelps’ photo just trying to tear you down. Maybe we should be more concerned with those that try to destroy our role models than with the disappointing behavior of those who we hold to unreasonable standards.
Of course, some may also believe that Phelps should not have hit the bong in the first place, not just because of the possibility of being caught but because it is wrong. Marijuana may be illegal, but to those who believe that its use is not commonplace among young people, get a clue. Smoking weed is not “shocking;” in fact, it is far from surprising. What is surprising is how someone could smoke weed and still manage to win eight gold medals.
And to Elisabeth Hasselbeck from the View, who argued that Phelps’ willingness to take a drug that would inhibit his performance potentially shows his willingness to take a drug that would enhance his performance, take a look at sports figures that have actually tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs and still get to play. When Phelps tests positive for steroids, then we can talk about his “drug problem.” Until then, let’s focus on those who actually have a drug problem.
What this comes down to is a matter of fairness. I am not advocating for the legalization of marijuana (even though the popular opinion of this country is shifting towards decriminalization of the drug), but I am advocating for more reasonable expectations of our public figures. We all make mistakes, but the difference between Phelps’ “mistake” and the ones that we make is that we usually do not beg for forgiveness. So give Phelps a break already. Otherwise, maybe you need to borrow that bong too.
Lindsay Huggins is a senior columnist for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at l.huggins@cavalierdaily.com.
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