by Cody Ryder

Created on: February 24, 2009

The media has blown the "scandal" involving Michael Phelps smoking out of a marijuana pipe (also called a bong) far out of proportion.

For one, what Phelps did isn't even wrong. Granted, smoking marijuana is illegal, but there isn't anything morally wrong with doing smoking marijuana. It is amazing how many people speak out against Phelps when statistics have shown that one out of every six people in the U.S. has smoked marijuana at some point in their lives. And yet these hypocritical people are quick to criticize Phelps simply because he is a public figure. If he had been their neighbor, or maybe even their uncle, nothing would have been said about it. One reason why many people are outraged by his actions is that he is a role model for children. But, if a child is so dependent upon a celebrity figure that they emulate his every move, you must question the skills of the parent at interacting with their child. As a parent, you should be able to explain to your child what is right and wrong and if you think that Michael Phelps did something wrong, you need to explain that to your child.

As for the media, they aren't helping the situation at all. I have read more articles and blogs criticizing Phelps actions than I can count. Yet there are less articles defending (or at least providing an unbiased view of) his actions than there are fingers on one of my hands. If the media does nothing but defame him then they really don't give his sponsors and FINA a choice. A few of his sponsors must drop him and the governing body of his sport must punish him because what happens is being shown to the public as being very bad. Since marijuana use has a negative association in our society, it seems natural that he would be criticized for doing it. But what is natural and what is just isn't always the same thing.

The first few days after the photograph was published, Phelps couldn't get any time alone. Paparazzi and news crews bothered him so bad that he had to seclude himself at home for a few days. Even then, he had paparazzi outside of his house early in the morning yelling at him through megaphones. If anyone did anything immoral during this chain of events, it was the media, not Michael Phelps. It is a shame that just because someone is a celebrity he can be subjected to such treatment. Even though he will not face charges for smoking marijuana, perhaps the people who harassed him for days should.

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