Ok, so I absolutely think that the Michael Phelps situation is overblown, but it is worthy thinking through. A few years back, Charles Barkley claimed, "I'm not a role model," but do athletes, celebrities, or middle school principals get to choose whether or not they want that role. Parents will have a lot different conversation about Phelps with their kids now. Any moment of any day, in context or out, we are all potential victims of the 24 hour news cycle. Do you want our society to be in hypersensative mode all the time? Would you want to catch some slack for a poor choice every once in a while. How quickly are we now held accountable for each decision that we make. Thoughts???
I agree, this Michael Phelps drama has gotten way too much media attention, but I can see both sides of the argument. On one hand, the minute he signed up for million dollar endorsement deals and went touring high schools around the country to motivate the youth, he sort of agreed to the who role model shtick. On the other hand, however, he is just a normal young guy who is bound to take advantage of his fame and let lose once in a while. Fortunately, I'm sure the media will cut him some slack once his camp spins this into an opportunity with him doing some sort of public service announcement about the risks associated with doing drugs.
ReplyDeleteI think people who are in positions where they are constantly scrutinized and observed by kids should practice what they preach, but at the same time they should also have the freedom and privacy to live their own personal lives in private. I can't imagine being watched so closely that I would need to watch every word I spoke or immoral thing that I did.
The problem that 24-hour news poses to privacy is that there's really no line anymore between private lives and public lives. So while athletes and other celebrities should be able to choose whether they'll be role models or not, they don't often have that choice anymore.
ReplyDeleteThink about the celebrity magazines that run pictures of movie stars out getting coffee in their jogging clothes. The pictures can get out through blogs or websites quickly, people can text each other to say where in the city the celebrities are having lunch and it goes on and on. Constant access to news means constant access to people's bad sides as well as their public personas.
Babe Ruth was a drunk, but people didn't know it because what they saw was his baseball ability. Old media broadcast limited information about people; new media broadcast anything they can find. The idea of 'role model' needs some updating because of that; parents need to teach their kids that athletes are real people and make mistakes.
-Isaac
i think Michael Phelps needs to grow up, he is still acting like he is in college i know he looks young but that does not mean you can have all access to anything u want. just today kellogs pulled him out of their advertising campaign for cereals, which is a big loss for him, he also got a 3 month ban. he can always improve and beat all his previous records in the upcoming 2012 london olympics and i wish him best of luck.
ReplyDeleteI deffinatly agree that it is hard to be famous and have a personal life too, they are viewed as a role model and everything that they do and say is closely observed. It is obvious that one must behave in a way of manners and morals, but people make mistakes. Hopefully he will learn from this, but would it have been as big of a deal if he was really drunk, or is that sociably acceptable?
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