Reading The Pictures: The Real Moral Of The Phelps Bong Hit Photo? Don't Mess With The Sponsors.

"We have been in touch with those sponsors," the U.S.O.C. spokesman Darryl Seibel said, "and let them know that we're disappointed and that going forward we expect different and better conduct." -- from: Phelps Apologizes for Marijuana Pipe Photo (NYT)

It seems the American public and media now largely take in stride the knowledge of someone -- such as the President, for example --- having smoked marijuana, but, at least in Michael Phelps's case, there is a completely different threshold for the image of it. (One BAGnewsNotes reader addressed the point directly on the recently surfaced Obama college photos, saying how lucky it was for Obama the photographer held onto the pics till after the election, given the visage of him simply smoking a cigarette held like a joint.)

But then, where is the real injury here, given that cannabis is not considered a banned substance by the World Anti-Doping Agency during out-of-competition testing -- this visual "bust" occurring in that period of time. Is it a character issue when, according to the NYT: "Phelps has never tested positive for a banned substance" and "last year ... (he) agreed to increased testing to prove that he was a clean athlete." Or, are we to think -- again, back to the issue of the power and impact particular images are supposed to have and mean -- that a photo like this might actually contribute to the corruption of America's youth and override, in people's minds, the knowledge of the intense discipline and rigor Phelps applies to his sport?

Even though the media frames Phelps's act, in all its visual glory, as morally earth shattering, what I'm actually wondering is this: How much of a social offense would we be talking about here if the media industrial complex, fronting for behemoth corporate sponsors including Kellogg's, Mazda, Subway, Visa and AT&T (as if corporate America had no moral baggage of its own) wasn't absolutely freaking out right now over their multi-million dollar investment in the most critical image of all -- that of Phelps as the "all-American boy"?

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(image: News Of The World.co.uk. via:What A Dope)

Comments

[disintaGreatNation]

If you won a medal in the Olympics, please post a photo of yourself puffing on a bong. That will be the fastest way to destigmatize the use of marijuana.

NOTE: If your photo bong has marijuana in it, please be sure the marijuana was home grown. Imported marijuana is bought and sold with blood money, and thousands in Mexico were murdered last year in drug wars.

[mastacho]

This just goes to show that he can be an olympic athlete AND smoke weed. I hate how people are so stereotypical of us weed smokers. It only makes you lazy and unmotivated if thats what you set your mind to. Many successful people smoke the reefer. So he hit a bong. big deal. smoke on :)

[NeverRepublican]

Don't mess with sponsers???

Who are they? The new Gestapo???

The citizens of America don't need to fear Corperations.

[repearwo]

Today, the all-American boy tokes.

[SteveDenver]

I was thinking the exactly the same.

[Bftsplk]

Until the law is changed using pot is still illegal no matter where you use it. If the man-on-the-street can be arrested for using pot, then everyone should be given that same treatment. The issue is not the morality of using pot but the breaking of a law and the application of that law to all persons regardless of who they are. Change the law or enforce it; don't have double standards!

[Onyx335]

Good it wasn't Bolt the 100M winner from Jamaica. He would probably be filling Marion Jones old spot or keeping a new spot warm for Barry Bonds. America and her double standards.

[SamEllison]

He's not smoking anything, that's how I dry out my contacts!

[thehuff]

Have Rush Limbaugh or Sarah Palin made a comment on this yet?

[madbonger618]

There's only one villain here. The person that took the picture and sold it.

[Pearlswan]

If I were his sponsors I'd be much more concerned about his drinking than his pot smoking. But, really, its no one's business but Michael's because he is of age. It is hypocritical that the Super Bowl was laden with beer ads and so are all sporting events on TV but people are shocked when an athlete gets high at a party where alcohol is being served, which also appears in the picture on the desk next to the computer monitor. Has anyone ever been to a dorm party? Geeez.

[kburlz]

I don't think he needs to worry about his Guitar Hero sponsorship, since that game was pretty much created for stoners that are too lazy to learn to actually play guitar.

[Nexan]

Michael Phelps smoked a bong. OHMYGOSH. Stop the presses. Take away his endorsements. Do all of this because he smoked a weed. For all those concerned please check out The History Chanels "Illegal Drugs and how they got that way". Grown from a seed how evil you devilish weed. Smoked by everyone from Beethoven to Queen Victoria. Yet we villify those that puff. Mike if you wanna toke then toke away my friend! I'll puff one with you! Keep on puffing Mike! Help show the uninformed just how lazy weed makes a person. Oh yeah, you're the most decorated Olympian...ever. Damn that weed! It's time for those of us who smoke to stand up and be heard. People who don't work can't even buy weed! It's too daggone expensive. Weed is the working man's stress reliever. It's time to stop hiding people. Of course we could smoke cigarettes, or pop one of the large pharmacetucal companies all that ails you pills Vioxx, Paxil, Advair. Severe side effects even death..gulp. What ever happened to that pill that addressed "restless leg syndrome"? Decisions decisions. Guess what, I'll stick with weed. Can anyone recommend good munchie food?

[Shante Ramos]

What's the big flippin deal? I'm 23 and I know kids in authority positions who smoke all the time! What's the big deal? Micheal Phelps is enjoying his life and obviously some good green. Geez! Can can't a brother just chill?

The question everyone should be asking is: Why would someone be so cruel to show this to the AP?????

[AsHSmash]

We should all be examining the morals of the person who took this picture and circulated it.

[Zenith1959]

Whoever took the picture shouldn't have, but I don't think (s)he gave it to the paper for nothing. It's hard not to pass up a buck these days.

[Onyx335]

Maybe he/she knows a different Phelps than the MSM portrays! Maybe he/she wants to save Phelps from himself.

[tbone99]

When are we going to quit paying billions of our national dollars to persecute people who smoke a plant?

the wasted lives of those imprisoned ..... a national tragedy

Phelps should be the icon for pot's harmlessness
. I wish instead of apologizing he had said - "Some people like to drink , I prefer to smoke because it doesn't throw my game off."

[CitizenFace]

It's so strange. Here's a role model who smokes, and rather than questioning the notion of pot's alleged harms, the media is afraid he might serve as a bad influence. He won GOLD! Like, over and over! Whatever he's doing, it seems to be working just fine.

Somehow I don't see them using THIS in anti-pot advertising.

"When you smoke pot, you're not just hurting yourself. Live above the influence... although, you might go on to win a ton of GOLD FREEKING MEDALS BABY! Pass dat influence my way!"

[Melissa]

The bottom line is he broke the law. Fight to change the law if you want, but he is in the wrong.

[valkyrie607]

No. The law is wrong. The law is trying to enforce morality. Has anyone been hurt by Phelps' toking? No. Will anyone be hurt if he's arrested for toking? Yes: Phelps.

The law should seek to prevent harm, not cause it.

[CyrusBeaucephus]

Tell that to my 70 yr old Aunt with severe MS. She even has a prescription for pot from an MD. The Gov says its still illegal. F*ck the government. Its a stupid law, and it will always be on the books because Americans feel good about legally harrassing harmless potheads SO MUCH that thay are willing to blow billions on enforcing STUPID LAWS

ps do you ever exceed the posted speed limit?

[horhay]

What law did he break? Look at the picture again. Yes, Phelps is holding a bong to his mouth, but I don't see any smoke. How do we know if he was even smoking marijuana?

If you want to say Phelps broke the law, it's a misdemeanor. Which is silly. Yes, we should fight to change the law. But I still don't believe he is in the wrong. The Law is.

One of the most corrupt, criminal administrations in U.S. history ended only weeks ago. Now the Media wants to focus on an Olympic athlete using a plant that has existed for millions of years, used by humans since prehistory. It's possible that some of the first Olympians even used marijuana. So maybe Phelps was just involved in some ancient ritual. You know, Freedom of Religion, thus no law broken.