Monday, January 30, 2012

Michael Phelps Bong Hit

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://s3-ak.buzzfed.com/static/imagebuzz/terminal01/2009/1/31/20/michael-phelps-bong-5821-1233453346-4.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.buzzfeed.com/akdobbins/michael-phelps-bong&h=688&w=516&sz=84&tbnid=3q6kFyvSI5hz8M:&tbnh=139&tbnw=104&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dmichael%2Bphelps%2Bbong%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=michael+phelps+bong&usg=__m06TtmhJXebO2rTAjxrOmQ0TIDI=&sa=X&ei=mbgmT5fuFZGGsAKP67GNAg&ved=0CBYQ9QEwAQ

6 months after having one of the best Summer Olympics ever in China, Michael Phelps drew heavy criticism for a photo that got leaked of him smoking a bong at a party. Phelps later apologized and was suspended for 3 months by USA Swimming. It was a big blow to Phelps as he was very popular in the U.S. Would you want your to child to use Phelps as a role model even after this incident? How would this incident affect younger children and their perception of marijuana? Or, should athletes or celebrities even care what their actions might do to affect the minds of people that look up to them?

12 comments:

  1. This picture is plainly a picture of Michael Phelps, Olympian Gold Medalist, wearing a baseball cap and a diamond studded watch, smoking a bong at a party. The rhetoric present is that even HUGE successes like Phelps abuse substances. This photo was negatively perceived by the world as people accused him of neglecting his responsibility to be a positive role model for young aspiring athletes. So, due to the negative response from the people, which I would assume was the response the publisher intended to provoke, I would still conclude that the photo by itself speaks positively about drugs, but also that the purpose for publishing it, was to yield disapproval of the actions of Michael Phelps, and therefore disapproval of the abuse of the drug in general.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I believe that it is extremely important for celebrities and athletes and anyone in the public eye to care about how their actions can affect the minds of those who look up to them. However, I do not believe that this picture is a reason for parents to tell their kids not to look up to Michael Phelps. I actually think his mistake is an excellent learning opportunity for teens, especially those involved in athletics, because it shows that no matter how many gold medals this man has, he still has to follow the rules and just like everyone else, he will be punished for doing things he isn't supposed to do. I think it's also important for the younger generation to see that nobody is perfect because I feel like there is a lot more pressure put on teenagers these days and sometimes it can feel like too much to handle. I think it is good for struggling teens to see that it's okay to make mistakes every once in a while but the important thing is to learn from them and to grow stronger from them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree completely and I can't help be reminded of a similar situation that happened with Miley Cyrus. She is a celebrity and powerful role model to many young people, especially children who watch her show and listen to her songs. Like you said about Michael Phelps, this is a great opportunity to teach children that mistakes can be made and that it is the lesson from those mistakes that matter most. This isn't to condone the mistake and encourage people to make them, but to learn from them and avoid future mistakes. Those in the public sector and celebrities, athletes, and role models must uphold a certain public image to avoid making the mistake that Michael Phelps and Miley Cyrus (for example) have made. The substantial increase in pressure this puts on them is unimaginable and hard to really understand since that does not appeal to me. However, laws are implemented to everyone and they can take no exception. Does this foster or present cause for celebrities to fall prey more easily to this kind of situations? This is only one example of celebrities and controversy.

      Delete
  3. I wouldn't necessarily say that this picture endorses smoking weed, but rather that it shows that even successful people smoke. I also don't think that he abusing the drug, but rather he is abusing his stardom. However, people who are held to a higher standard such as Olympic gold medal winners cannot afford to have pictures like this floating around the internet. Many kids look up to him, and this might either alter their perception of Phelps or the drug itself. That being said, this could be interpreted as a positive for those wishing to legalize marijuana. With this and the video of Zach Galifianakis, the public is starting to realize more and more than smoking weed is becoming a more common practice in today's society.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Prompt 7:

    I would have to agree with the general consensus that this image is one that does not show Michael Phelps as a good role model. Still, my view of him did not change when I discovered that he smoked marijuana. He still is an olympian, and a very successful individual. I do not feel as if this picture condones smoking weed, especially because after it was released, Phelps made an apology. However, this photo could be used to help expedite the legalization of marijuana because of the number of famous people who openly admit to smoking, Justin Timberlake, Montel Williams, and Seth Rogan.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Michael Phelps is held to a much higher standard as a professional athlete and as an Olympian, but this slip up by him does more than show that he is human and makes mistakes. It also displays how substance abuse is present even in professional sports, which is surprising to most considering that we consider sports to be clean and the enemy of substance abuse. This unfortunately, is not uncommmon in pro sports. I believe it is also irrelevant as to what drug he is using/abusing here. The fact is that he was not smart about the way his image was displayed to the world, and the consequences go beyond the 3 month suspension from USA swimming. I think that young adults and kids can actually learn more by seeing Michael Phelps in this light than by seeing him breaking world records. This, although much more direct, brutal, and less glamorous, shows a young man who simply messed up and got caught.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'm going to go slightly against the grain and say that I have no issue with his decision to smoke in his free time. I'm not advocating for it or saying that I would make the same choice, but he is an adult and can make his own decisions about whether or not he wants to smoke. Also, I wouldn't refer to a picture of one bong hit as evidence of substance abuse. He has been ridiculously successful as an athlete and it is impossible to stay at that level while abusing drugs that aren't performance enhancing.

    However, I dislike the fact that a picture of him smoking was posted all over the internet. Professional athletes should ensure that mistakes like this don't happen because of the influence they hold over their fans, especially younger ones. I still consider Phelps a great model of determination and perseverance though.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I believe that celebrities should not simply let photos of them using illicit substances be leaked to the internet, but obviously Phelps did not purposefully have that happen. The photo of him smoking marijuana however, suggests that Phelps may occasionally or regularly smoke marijuana, which would only support claims of marijuana activists that this substance is not harmful/dangerous or addictive. I proposed the point of Phelps not publicly advertising himself smoking weed because it would be wrong for children who idolize him to gain the instant perception that smoking marijuana is "ok". Obviously, to accept that substance as part of your lifestyle, you first need to understand what it is, how it should be used, and when it should be used. So yes, athletes/celebrity role models should care about their actions because people that look up to them will notice what they do. If they choose to use illicit substances and the media shows it, they should provide explanation for their actions.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Prompt 7

    As many of you have stated previously, the actions of Michael Phelps have slightly tarnished his reputation as the all around role model for kids. It's easy to say mistakes are made and everyone should forget about it, but this is not the case. I truly believe this picture of Phelps has hurt more people than himself. Kids see this and figure if Phelps can smoke weed and still be an incredible athlete, than they can do the same. Marijuana may not be harmful at all, but the fact that it is illegal is alarming. A role model isn't always the best person at their sport, they are the person that does things right, day in and day out. So yes, this picture of Phelps affect peoples' knowledge and ideas about marijuana in a bad way. It provides an example of how something illegal may really not be that harmful at all. The point is not that it may be harmless, it is simply that it is illegal.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Prompt 7:
    I would have to say that the picture did not change my mind or opinion about him, but the picture sure does not help him be looked up upon. I would not want my kid to see a picture of one of the greatest olympians doing drugs because that may give kids the wrong impression. Kids might think that even though he is the greatest he can still do illegal drugs and get away with illegal things and have no effect on performance. Kids will take this image the wrong way and kids are very impressionable so this could not have helped any child who loved Phelps. This picture takes away any credibility for Phelps to be a good role model. He is an influential athlete who should better know who and how many young kids he influences.

    ReplyDelete
  10. This incident affects its viewers because it shows that successful people can also smoke marijuana. Younger children are constantly being taught in school and by their parents that smoking marijuana is bad and that nothing good can come from it. By seeing such a successful person doing such things it discredits the warnings that kids have previously been given. Especially Phelps being such an amazing athlete it makes you question if marijuana really does have negative affects on your body. Fame comes with a territory and even if he wants to or not little kids look up to him. People make mistakes, but because of his popularity he should be more attentive to what is made public.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Prompt 6:

    The author of this post uses some controversial topics in order to say what some of the public believes. By asking the questions, "Would you want your child to use Phelps as a role model even after this incident? How would this incident affect younger children and their perception of marijuana?" By pointing these out the author wants to show how the public eye should be taken more seriously.Also, from reading the comments posted, the public generally agrees that Phelps made a mistake and should learn from it. Rather than attacking Phelps too directly, the public believes in a second chance. A witness commented, "He looked just as natural with a bong in his hands as he does swimming in the pool. He was the gold medal winner of bong hits." Saying this points out how Phelps probably uses the drug quite a bit, and is familiar with its usage. By trying to point out how America "glorifies" its athletes, could it be an attack on how many in the spotlight of the media fall from grace?

    ReplyDelete